


Luna Lovegood and the Maniac in Maroon

by Id (idX)



Series: Girl in Red [3]
Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Major Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-20
Updated: 2017-11-04
Packaged: 2018-11-02 22:45:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 25
Words: 138,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10954281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idX/pseuds/Id
Summary: Dementors are on the grounds of Hogwarts, a murderer is on the loose, and everyone's terrified.  Even with nightmares plaguing her dreams, Luna knows Rose will find a way to fix it.





	1. Trouble in Paradise

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer:** The following is a non-profit, fan-based parody. _Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban_ is owned by J.K. Rowling, and published by Scholastic and Bloomsbury. Please support the official release.

Septima Vector met the Grangers at Platform 9¾. In honor of Hermione’s recent publications, the Arithmancy Professor had offered to buy Hermione and her family dinner. It was the least she could do for her star pupil, not to mention she’d never had the opportunity to meet Hermione’s parents. 

After agreeing to the plan, the Grangers traveled by car to Diagon Alley, while Septima took the short way and used the flu network. 

“Rose is still joining us, isn’t she?” Emma asked their daughter. 

“She said she wanted to make sure Harry was alright,” Hermione said. “She said not to wait for her, but to save her a seat.” 

They regrouped at the Leaky Cauldron, where Septima greeted them. 

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet both of you,” she said. “It has been my pleasure to teach your daughter these past two years.” 

“I think we’re the ones who should be thanking you,” Dan said. “Thanks to you, Hermione’s published papers before she graduated.” 

“That would’ve happened with or without me,” Septima said, smiling at Hermione before turning back to her parents. “I’m just glad everything turned out alright this year.” She motioned to one of the tables. “Please, let’s sit down.” 

Just after they sat down, Rose appeared in the open seat beside Hermione. 

“Sorry I’m late,” she said. “I was making sure Harry was alright.” 

“Hermione already told us,” Emma said. 

“We just sat down, so you’re not that late,” Hermione added. 

“How is the young Mr. Potter?” Professor Vector asked. 

“Don’t know,” Rose replied. “His aunt and uncle didn’t seem too worried by the idea that Professor McGonagall or I would be stopping by to visit them.” 

“They might’ve been trying to hide it,” Dan suggested. 

“I’ve heard Professor McGonagall mention his aunt and uncle,” Septima said. “Are they really that bad?” 

“Probably,” Rose said. “They were underfeeding and underequipping him.” 

The adults turned to Hermione for a translation. 

“She means they never buy him clothes of his own, and they kept his school things locked up all summer,” Hermione said. “And that’s only what we know.” 

“I don’t know about the Wizarding world,” Emma said, “but in the Muggle one, that’s child abuse.” 

“It is in ours too,” Septima said. 

She was starting to understand why Potter’s mum had dropped out of contact with her family. If that was how they treated their nephew simply because he was magic, then it didn’t surprise her that the young girl hadn’t wanted to talk to or about them. 

“Thanks for saving me a seat,” Rose said to Hermione. 

“You’re welcome,” Hermione replied. “There’s still something from this year I don’t understand. Why did Luna… er… the book send that Bludger after Harry? Why not just use the Basilisk?” 

Rose shook her head. “That wasn’t Tommy. Luna said she remembered the entire match, which meant that Tommy couldn’t have possessed her during it.” 

“Then what happened?” Dan asked. 

Rose shrugged. “I don’t know.” 

“Do you think it was related to the platform entrance suddenly closing at the start of the year?” Hermione asked. 

“The platform entrance _closed_?” Septima asked. 

“Harry and Ron said it was as if the bricks were really bricks,” Hermione said. “Luckily Rose teleported them on board, otherwise I don’t know what they would’ve done.” Muttering, she added, “Although knowing Ronald, it would’ve ended poorly.” 

“Ms. Peta-Lorrum, didn’t you mention something about a House-elf in Hogwarts?” Septima asked. “Something about it focusing on Mr. Potter?” 

“Dobby,” Rose replied. “He might have been involved. He said that he knew something bad was going to happen at Hogwarts, but didn’t know what. He was trying to save Harry because Harry stopped Voldie, who of course was terrible to house-elves.” 

“When did you learn all of this?” Hermione asked, frowning at Rose. 

“About two weeks ago when I snuck into Malfoy Manor and read Dobby’s mind while he was asleep,” Rose replied. 

“Need I remind you that you aren’t supposed to leave Hogwarts without express permission?” Septima asked. 

“You can,” Rose said. 

“It won’t matter,” Hermione muttered. 

“I needed answers, and Dobby had them,” Rose said simply. 

“Rose, you should be following the rules,” Emma told her. 

“What was I supposed to do?” Rose asked. “It was bothering me.” 

“You could’ve waited until summer, then snuck out of _our_ house to go see him,” Dan suggested. 

Rose blinked, an empty look on her face. 

“Didn’t occur to you, did it?” Hermione asked. 

“Actually, I’m not sure I know the rules of Hogwarts,” Rose said, tilting her head. “Oh! Other than don’t kill any of the students. I know that one.” 

“That’s a good one,” Septima said. “Getting off the subject of Hogwarts, Mr. and Mrs. Granger, what do you two do for a living?” 

“We’re dentists,” Dan said, thankful for the normal question. “That’s a Muggle profession that focuses on repairing teeth.” 

“Interesting,” Septima said. “Hermione’s talked a lot about Muggle technology… electricity, I believe. In the Wizarding world, we’ve got magic to repair teeth. Is there some electrical tool… I hope I said that right… to help in the Muggle world?” 

“Sort of,” Emma said. “We’ve got plenty of tools to help us, but there are a lot of procedures that must be done. For a typical cleaning, it’s fairly straight forward, but when you need to pull or fill teeth, it becomes much harder. Technology has only come so far, and it’s very precise work.” 

Rose opened her mouth to add something, but Hermione, anticipating a nonsensical train of thought, caught her before she could start. 

“Rose, I’ve got a question. If I wanted to animate this table, merge it with the chairs, and have it shoot bubbles, how would I do that?” 

“That’s a good question,” Rose replied. “First, you’d want to use _animate object_ , and then…” 

Dan, Emma, and Septima watched the girls for a moment. 

“That was impressive,” Septima said. “That girl… Rose, not Hermione… has been driving the Potions Master mad for the past two years.” 

“The Potions Master that blatantly favors one house over the other?” Dan asked. 

“Yes, well, as the youngest member of our staff, Severus isn’t the most professional professor,” Septima said. “He’s a brilliant man, but he’s still working through some issues he encountered when he attended Hogwarts. Actually, his first year as a student was my first year as a professor. He was constantly tormented by a group of Gryffindors who called themselves ‘The Marauders’.” Septima rolled her eyes at the thought of them. “They were a rotten group of children. It didn’t surprise me to learn that one of them was sent to Azkaban about a decade ago.” 

“Azkaban?” Emma asked. 

“Prison,” Septima clarified. “It’s a high security prison.” 

“What about the rest of them?” Emma asked. 

“Two of them died during the Great Wizarding War, and one of them has taken to academia,” Septima said. “Honestly, that doesn’t surprise me. I never understood why someone as bright as him fell in with a group like that.” 

“That was a fear of mine with Hermione,” Dan admitted. “Especially after she described her housemates for the first time. I thought there was no way they would challenge or understand her.” 

“You two, of course, know Hermione far better than I, but from the looks of it, those girls understand each other better than most.” 

The three looked at the girls, who were still discussing Hermione’s bizarre request. 

“ _Fabricate_ sounds amazing,” Hermione said. 

“It’s one of the best spells ever made,” Rose said. “So that’s how you’d get the chairs attached to the table. Then you could animate it. Now, the bubbles could be tricky.” 

“I never would’ve guessed that they’d be such good friends,” Septima said. “They seemed so different when I first saw them together, but they work well together. I’m still worried that so many of the horrible events that have befallen Hogwarts these past two years center around Peta-Lorrum.” 

“Let’s hope this year will be different,” Emma said. “I’m not sure how much of this I can take.” 

“I’m honestly a little surprised that you’ve allowed Hermione to stay,” Septima said. “Not that I’m complaining, of course. Hermione is without a doubt the brightest student I’ve ever taught.” 

Dan and Emma smiled with pride. 

“She loves it there,” Dan said. “I’m not sure any school can challenge her like Hogwarts can, although we hold onto the Beauxbatons paperwork just in case.” 

“I would hate to see her leave, but I can understand wanting her to be in a safe environment. We all try our best to keep them safe, but we weren’t prepared for what happened last month.” She took a sip of her drink. “On that subject, I’d like to apologize for not being in the Hospital Wing with them when the Basilisk attacked. Had I not been under direct orders from the acting headmistress, I would’ve been by her side.” 

Dan nodded, taking a sip of his own drink. 

“I can’t say I’m happy about what happened, but I keep telling myself it all turned out for the best,” he said. 

“Believe me, I feel the same way,” Septima said. 

* * *

Sally-Anne looked up as an owl flew into her house through an open window. It dropped a copy of the _Daily Prophet_ on the kitchen table, along with another envelope, then flew back through the open window and into the morning sky. 

“One day,” her dad said as he watched it fly away, “I’m going to get used to that.” 

“I’m still trying to figure out how nobody ever sees them,” Sally-Anne said. “Aren’t birdwatchers eventually going to notice the owls?” 

“Could be that the Ministry of Magic handles that,” her mum said. 

“Are you saying they cover it up, or that they use magic to hide the birds?” her dad asked, narrowing his eyes. 

“Could be either, although it’s unlikely that _my_ job involves covering up events the public shouldn’t know about.” 

Sally-Anne and her dad exchanged looks. They frequently made attempts, albeit horrible ones, to discover her mum’s profession. All they knew was that it involved the government, and that they would probably be arrested if she told them anything. Still, it was fun to try. 

“Foiled again,” Sally-Anne said. 

“Anything interesting in the world of wizards?” her mum asked. 

Sally-Anne looked down at the paper in front of her. On the front page, in big letters, was the title “SIRIUS BLACK ESCAPES FROM AZKABAN”. 

“Oh no,” she groaned. 

“What?” her dad asked. 

“Someone escaped from wizard prison,” Sally-Anne said. 

“That must’ve happened before,” her mum said. 

“I don’t think so,” Sally-Anne replied. 

She read the article, growing more discouraged as she progressed. 

“Well, the bad news is that he’s probably going after someone at Hogwarts,” Sally-Anne said. “So much for a relaxing year.” 

“How do they know?” her mum asked. 

“The article says he was muttering something like ‘He’s at Hogwarts’ in his sleep a few weeks ago.” 

“Who’s this man?” her dad asked. 

“He was one of Voldemort’s worst followers,” Sally-Anne said. 

“He wasn’t good at it?” her mum asked. 

“No, sorry!” Sally-Anne said. “I mean he was a horrible person. It says here… the night he was captured, he killed a bunch of people with one spell. Some sort of explosion.” 

“And of all the places he could be going, he’s going to Hogwarts,” her dad said. “One day, they’re going to make a film about you and your friends, and no one’s going to believe it. Not because there’s magic, but because no one believes that people can be _that_ unlucky.” 

“Well, I guess it wouldn’t be a normal year at Hogwarts without someone out to get us,” Sally-Anne said, trying to lighten the mood. “With our luck, he’ll end up as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor.” 

“I hope Professor Dumbledore’s a little more responsible than that,” her dad said. 

“I just hope he’s not after Harry,” Sally-Anne said. 

“I’m sure he’ll be alright,” her mum said. “Professor Dumbledore seems alright, and the way you talk about Rose, nothing gets by her.” 

“Except a giant snake at the Hospital Wing,” her dad added. 

“That wasn’t Rose’s fault,” Sally-Anne said. “She had to go after Luna, otherwise she’d have died.” 

“I can’t imagine the staff will be that clueless enough to allow someone onto the grounds that shouldn’t be there,” her mum said. She paused, then added, “Although, they did allow a troll and dragon to find their way in.” 

“I’m still confused about the dragon,” Sally-Anne said. “The troll was intentionally allowed in by Professor Quirrell, but no one’s explained the dragon yet.” 

It was true. Sally-Anne had asked Rose if she knew, but Rose avoided the topic of dragons more than the Twins avoided following the rules. Professor Babbling didn’t know anything about it either, or if she did, she never answered Sally-Anne when she asked about it. 

“There _was_ a giant snake monster in the school,” her dad said. “When you think about it, the staff haven’t got a great track record when it comes to keeping the school safe.” 

“Rose does,” Sally-Anne said. “She’ll keep us safe. And if she can’t, then I can.” 

To demonstrate this, and because she couldn’t get enough of it, Sally-Anne splayed her fingers and created a small disc above her hand. 

“Sally-Anne, don’t do that in the house,” her mum snapped as the disc vanished. “Changing the subject, what’s that other letter?” 

Sally-Anne picked it up and quickly opened it. 

“It’s the form about Hogsmeade,” Sally-Anne said. “Professor McGonagall mentioned them just before we left. There’s a village not too far from Hogwarts, and every so often, the students are allowed to go and explore for the day.” 

“Unsupervised?” her dad asked. 

“I think so,” Sally-Anne replied. 

Over the past several months, Sally-Anne had developed the habit of concentrating on the people with whom she spoke. She didn’t constantly read everyone’s mind, but she liked to be ready in case she needed to read their minds. 

When her parents exchanged looks, and her mum nodded, Sally-Anne lifted their thoughts from their minds, and got a phrase that made her skin crawl: “The Talk”. 

_Oh no_ , she thought. _Calm down. That might not be what they meant._

“Wait, why?” 

Wilfred folded up his paper, picked up his plate, and stood up. 

“I’ll be in the other room, not so much as thinking of eavesdropping,” he said. 

“I believe you, Dear,” her mum said, turning to Sally-Anne. 

“Please no,” Sally-Anne said. “I don’t–” 

“Don’t do anything stupid, talk to us first, and if you’re ever in trouble, shout ‘Fire’. It gets attention quickly.” 

Still bracing herself for the worst, Sally-Anne asked, “Is that it?” 

“No, but those are what I feel are the important lessons from _my_ childhood.” 

Sally-Anne stared at her mum, not sure what to make of that. 

“I think I’ve got a few questions for grandma and grandpa next time I see them,” Sally-Anne said. 

“I’ll clear that up now,” her mum said. “When I was your age, there was this boy in my class. Let’s call him John. He was the football star, very popular, and as hard as it might be to believe, I was shy.” 

Sally-Anne nodded autonomously, still not sure what to make of her situation. 

“To my surprise, he asked me out one day. I couldn’t believe it at the time; there I was, small, timid, not unlike you two years ago, and this was the most handsome boy I’d ever laid eyes on.” 

“Apart from Dad?” Sally-Anne asked. 

Her mum made a face, then said, “Sure. Why not?” 

Sally-Anne pressed her lips together to stop from laughing. 

“We went out a few times, and he seemed a perfect gentleman. Nice, polite, chivalrous… but it was an act. The signs were there, and in hindsight, I should’ve seen it sooner, but I was blinded.” 

“What happened?” Sally-Anne asked, fearing the worst. 

“He was walking me home one night, and pulled me off into the woods. Said I owed him.” 

Sally-Anne gasped. 

“If it were a fairy tale, your father would’ve shown up, thrown a few punches, won my hand in marriage, and we’d all live happily ever after.” 

Sally-Anne opened her mouth to ask what happened, but she found that she didn’t want to know. 

“Instead, I learned that screaming ‘fire’ as loud as you can draws a crowd. He broke it off the next day, spread rumors about what really happened, because as it turned out, he was only ever with me because he lost a bet.” She shrugged. “If it hadn’t happened, one of the nice boys in the theatre department might not have stood up for me, I might not have started attending plays regularly, and I might not have met your father.” 

“But…” Sally-Anne breathed. “He nearly–” 

“He did nearly, but he didn’t,” her mum said. “I can’t take it back, but I can pass on what I’ve learned to you.” She leaned in close and whispered, “I know you like Harry,” 

“No, I–” 

“Don’t deny it, I saw that look a few minutes ago when you talked about him. He seems like a sweet boy, but sometimes people aren’t what they seem. If you’re going to fall in love, make sure you’re in love with who a person is, and not who you want them to be. And if something ever feels wrong, talk to us, or even to Professor Babbling or McGonagall.” 

Sally-Anne nodded. 

“One of the worst mistakes I made as a teenager was never listening to my parents,” her mum explained. “When you’re a teenager, it can seem like adults just want to control you, but we’re here to help you. All the rules that make no sense will make perfect sense when you’re an adult. I promise.” 

Sally-Anne nodded again, then said, “Thanks, Mum.” 

Her mum grinned, then said, “Don’t thank me yet. The real talk starts now. Come along; my room.” 

“Do we have to?” Sally-Anne complained. 

“I’m not signing the form until we do.” 

Sally-Anne groaned as she followed her mum. 

* * *

Neville and his gran walked into St. Mungo’s Hospital. The staff there were always happy to see him when he wasn’t being admitted. Especially since they knew who he was visiting. 

He and his gran were escorted down the hallway by a male nurse, who led them to the Janus Thickey Ward for Spell Damage. 

“They aren’t awake today,” the nurse informed them. “Conscious, just not awake.” 

“There’s no need to tell him that!” hissed Augusta Longbottom. 

“I just want him to be prepared, Ma’am,” the nurse whispered. 

Neville and his gran arrived in the ward, and they were lead to a room with two occupants. 

As his gran and the nurse watched, Neville walked over to the space between his parents’ beds. He pulled up the single chair, left there for him by the staff, and sat down as his gran and the nurse gave them some time alone. 

“Hey Mum,” he said. “Hey Dad.” 

As always, they didn’t respond. The pair of them stared up at the ceiling, hardly blinking or moving. They didn’t seem aware of their son’s presence in the room, nor of anything else for that matter. 

“I don’t know if you heard, but I fought a basilisk last month,” Neville said. “It was in the _Daily Prophet_ and everything! I even got an award for services to Hogwarts. Me and my friends, we all worked together to kill it.” 

He smiled, looking from his mum to his dad. “You should’ve seen it. Hermione came up with _two_ spells, right there on the spot! Then Harry ran out and got it in the eye with this sword I pulled out of the Sorting Hat, and Sally-Anne rushed out to save him when things looked bad. Then I took the sword and tried to get its other eye, but I got thrown off. But I thought fast and threw the sword at it. It was amazing! I can’t remember anything after that, but they told me that Ron summoned Hermione to save her, and Ginny lit the Basilisk on fire after Professor McGonagall made it more flammable!” 

At the time, Neville wouldn’t have thought that that day would’ve been a fond memory, but he couldn’t remember it enough. Everyone at school had asked them about it, and he was congratulated by just about everyone. He had never felt so special in his entire life. 

“Everyone was there except Rose,” he continued. “Rose Peta-Lorrum. I’ve told you about her before. She’s got to be the bravest girl I’ve ever met. She went down into the Chamber of Secrets. All by herself! She’s been helping me get through Potions class. It’s not so bad with her fending off Professor Snape.” He laughed. “I think she bothers him so much that he avoids her during class. She’s one of the brightest girls in class, and she can fight, and her hair’s this brilliant shade of crimson.” 

The smile on Neville’s face vanished. 

“Sirius Black broke out of Azkaban. It was in the _Daily Prophet_ yesterday. It was supposed to be impossible, but he did it. People say he’s going to Hogwarts, but if he does, he won’t get far. Professor Dumbledore will stop him, or just send Rose after him. They’ll catch him. I’m not worried about him; I’m worried about Bellatrix Lestrange.” Neville took a deep breath. “If Sirius Black can break out, then _she_ can break out, and if _she_ can break out… then I’m gonna be there to stop her. That’s why I’m going to ask Rose to teach me how to fight. She did wonders with Sally-Anne, so I’m sure she’ll figure out something for me, even if I’m not good at anything.” 

Neville looked down. “I’m hardly passing Transfiguration, Charms, or Defence, but I’m good at Herbology. It’s mostly because Professor Sprout takes the time to help everyone. It makes so much sense when she explains it, I guess. She even told me to think about Potions in terms of Herbology, and it would be easier. It is a little, I guess, but Rose helps me through the rest.” 

After that, Neville sat in silence with his parents. There was always a part of him that wished that they would talk back to him, but he knew that they never would. His parents were empty shells, and they’d stay that way forever, all thanks to Bellatrix Lestrange. 

“I’m going to make sure she never hurts anyone ever again,” Neville whispered. 

* * *

Hermione opened the letter and quickly scanned it. As she read it, she grew more and more concerned. 

“What’s wrong?” Rose asked. 

“Sally-Anne’s found the problem for this year,” Hermione said, handing her friend the letter. “Sirius Black broke out of Azkaban. That’s _supposed_ to be impossible.” 

“So?” Rose asked, using _scholar’s touch_ on the letter. Fortunately for her, the rules weren’t clear on what constituted a “book”. “I broke into Thedo Minor, and that was supposed to be impossible too.” 

“Alright, I’ll give you that,” Hermione said. “But Black’s supposedly trying to get to Hogwarts.” 

“Who’s Sirius Black?” asked Hermione’s mum. 

“A convicted murderer,” Hermione said. “A mass murderer is going to be attempting to break into Hogwarts to find a boy.” 

“Probably Harry,” Rose said. 

“It might not–” Hermione’s mum started. 

“Harry supposedly stopped Voldemort, so it makes sense that his most loyal followers would try to get revenge on Harry,” Rose said. 

“I guess that makes sense,” Hermione said sullenly. 

Later that summer, Hermione and Rose received a letter from the Weasleys informing them that the family had won a lottery drawing from the _Daily Prophet_ , and were using the money for a Weasley family holiday in Egypt. 

“Why are you so sour?” Hermione asked Rose after the girls read the letter. 

“It makes it harder to go visit Luna,” Rose replied. 

“So?” Hermione asked. “Just _teleport_ like you always do.” 

“Can’t,” Rose replied. “My _staff of passage_ is out of charges.” 

“Why not just use _Serendipity_?” Hermione asked. 

“I’ve got something in mind for this summer,” Rose said. “I’m getting started on it tomorrow, but I’ve got to save XP until then.” 

“Why not use your _thought bottle_ for it?” Hermione asked. 

“The _thought bottle_ doesn’t help _Serendipity_ ,” Rose replied. “Not unless I’m going to be _power surging_ her 12 or more times.” 

“What’s a _thought bottle_ do?” Hermione asked. “I’ve just been assuming it cuts your XP use.” 

“Sort of,” Rose replied. “When I use it, I store part of myself inside the bottle. It costs 500 XP to store my current XP total, so when I restore it, I’ll have used only 500 XP. Even then, I try not to burn too much XP at once.” 

“Okay, so it’s only worth it when you use more than 500 XP.” 

“Precisely,” Rose replied. 

“So just use it for your project, and use your XP to go visit Luna,” Hermione suggested. “Or better yet, just make another staff. How much XP have you got?” 

“Over 8,000.” 

“Wait, what?” Hermione asked. “Eight thousand? When did that happen? Just a few months ago you only had around _one_ thousand.” 

“I got XP from defeating the Heir of Slytherin,” Rose replied. 

“Seven thousand?” Hermione asked. 

Rose hesitated. She got most of the XP in her current reserve from defeating Cruentius, about whom Hermione wasn’t supposed to know. Fortunately for Rose, Rose hadn’t explained the XP rules or how XP was distributed per encounter. 

“Yes,” Rose lied. “Rewards are higher for bigger bosses.” 

“Okay,” Hermione said. “Well, you have fun crafting, just don’t take all Dad’s duct tape this time.” 

“No promises!” 

* * *

For the next month, Rose kept mostly to herself in her room. She came out now and then for meals, but wouldn’t say anything about her current project. 

“It’s not another golem, is it?” Hermione’s mum asked. 

“Of course not,” Rose replied, looking at Ana. “Unless you need another one.” 

“No, I think we’re fine,” Hermione’s dad said. 

The day they were set to go camping, Hermione found Rose at the breakfast table, something that, up to that point, rarely happened. 

“Are you finished, or did you just remember that we’re going camping?” Hermione asked. 

Rose nodded, the grin of a little girl that got everything she wanted for Christmas on her face. 

“That’s not helping,” Hermione said. 

“Both,” Rose replied. 

“I’m not asking what you did,” Hermione said, sighing. “I’m sure I’ll find out.” 

The grin was replaced by a pout. “You’re no fun.” 

“If you need to gloat about it, just talk to Shadow.” 

“I did,” Rose replied. “She thought it was _kethé_ too.” 

“Did you at least add more charges to your staff?” Hermione asked. 

“Yeah, I did that too,” Rose said. “I might make another homunculus.” 

“Why?” Hermione asked. 

“Just thinking about it,” she replied. “Are we still going camping?” 

“Yup,” Hermione replied. “Thanks for not waking us up so early.” 

“Sure,” Rose grumbled. “You’ve got to be the slowest group of adventurers ever. Who takes so long to get moving?” 

“Still not an adventuring party,” Hermione said. 

Before long, the Grangers and Rose were on their way to the camping grounds. 

When the reached the campsite, Rose stopped and looked around. Hermione knew that look. Rose wasn’t just surveying the surrounding landscape; she was focused on something. 

“Something wrong, Rose?” her dad asked, picking up on Rose’s suspicion. 

“Sh!” Rose said, holding up her hand. “Yup.” 

“What?” Hermione asked. 

“Something’s been following us,” Rose said. “And its hearing’s good; it just bolted.” Her head whipped around, but she couldn’t see anything moving. 

“You don’t think it’s _him_ , do you?” Hermione asked. “Sirius Black, I mean. He wouldn’t come after _us_ , would he?” 

“I don’t see how he could’ve followed us, or why he’d follow us,” Rose replied, pulling her goggles over her eyes. “If he’s after Harry, there’s better ways of finding him. Not to mention, Professor Dumbledore’s not an idiot. He’ll have Harry defended somehow.” 

“We are his friends,” Hermione said. 

“We are, but even if he knew that, he’d have trouble keeping up with the fast moving construct that brought us here,” Rose said. 

“A mass murderer might be after you girls,” Hermione’s mum said. “Rose, for curiosity’s sake, how often does this happen to you?” 

“That’s a good question,” Rose said. “Let’s see… Sk’lar’s parents… the Abomination… Mal’rah… I’ve got a lot of people that come after me. Oh! That vengeful _jato_!” 

“What’s ‘ _jato_ ’ mean?” Hermione’s dad asked. 

“So far as I can tell, it’s another word for a female dog,” Hermione replied. 

“Ah.” 

“Funny thing is, I don’t usually travel with the Exalted, but somehow, their enemies always come after me.” 

“So not that different from Hermione,” her mum said. 

“I guess.” 

While her parents were processing Rose’s words, Hermione was mentally checking off each enemy Rose listed. She had picked up odds and ends from what Rose had told her, but Sk’lar’s parents were the only one she could really confirm that she knew. The name Mal’rah was new on her, but she was guessing the Abomination referred to the dragon that had killed Rose. Hermione had heard Rose mention a woman whose name was never given, but from what Hermione had picked up, said woman had done something awful to Shadow. 

All of this served to remind Hermione just how little she knew about Rose. 

“Did you see him through the trees?” Mr. Hermione’s Dad asked. 

“No, it looked like a wild animal,” Rose replied. “But the same one has been following us, so he could just be using it as a messenger.” She tilted her head. “Hermione, _shapechange_ isn’t a thing here, right?” 

“Closest there is to _shapechange_ here is an Animagus.” 

“That’s not a real word,” Rose said. 

“Neither is _jato_ ,” Hermione shot back. 

“Yes it is!” Rose exclaimed. “It’s Draconic! _You’re_ … I was going to say ‘racist’, but then I remembered we were talking about dragons. They don’t count.” 

“Maybe we should just turn back,” Emma said. “If there’s something following us, we should stay where we can get help.” 

“He can’t get near us so long as I’m here,” Rose said. “I don’t sleep, and my _blindsight_ will be tripped the second he comes within 60 feet of me. We’re safe. I’m more worried about Princess and Scarface. Cohort and Firecracker have got their family, which currently involves a trained curse breaker and professional monster handler.” 

“What about Luna and Neville?” Hermione asked. 

“Int’s with Little Moon, but Timid Toad might be in trouble,” Rose said. “I’ll have to check in on him soon.” 

After they set up camp, Hermione walked over to Rose, who was admiring the scenery. 

“Rose, who’s Mal’rah?” Hermione whispered. 

Rose hesitated, then replied, “The man who killed my parents and Shadow.” 

Hermione’s eyes grew wide. “What?! Shadow?!” 

“She held on long enough for us to get to her,” Rose explained. “A quick _revivify_ brought her back.” 

“Rose, there’s something I’ve been wondering,” Hermione said. “If death isn’t a big deal in your world, why…” 

“Mal’rah disintegrated my parents,” Rose replied bitterly. “There was nothing left to bring back.” 

“I’m sorry.” 

“It’s alright,” Rose said. “I’ll be okay. Shadow got him for me.” 

Hermione smiled. “I’m glad.” 


	2. All the World's a Stage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which our cast is treated to a show.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** The following is a non-profit, fan-based parody. Dungeons and Dragons was created by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and is currently published by Wizards of the Coast. Io, Bahamut, Tiamat, and their respective armies are the property of Wizards of the Coast, who are in no way coercing me to type that. Please support the official release. Because if you don't, Tiamat will gut you like a Thanksgiving Human.

* * *

Sally-Anne and her mum arrived at Number Four Privet Drive. She got out of the car and began the walk up to the front door. 

Every year, the theatre did a play from Shakespeare, and this year was no different. What _was_ different about this year was that only one of her friends could attend. With Ron and Ginny being in Egypt visiting family, Hermione and Rose being at a family reunion for Hermione’s family, and Sally-Anne not knowing Luna or Neville all that well, it would be just her and Harry. 

Sally-Anne’s dad was already at the theatre setting up, so she, her mum, and Harry would be getting a quick bite to eat before going to the show. 

This meant that Harry and Sally-Anne would be grabbing dinner and a show, just as if they were on a date. 

The thought of this made Sally-Anne blush, but after taking a moment to concentrate on something else, she got through it and rang the doorbell. 

This turned out to be unnecessary, since Harry was waiting for her on the other side of the door. 

“Hi,” Harry said, quickly closing the door behind him, muffling the shouting on the other side. 

“Hey, Harry,” Sally-Anne replied, smiling. “How are you?” 

Harry glanced back at the house. “I’ve been better.” 

“I’m sorry,” Sally-Anne said, the smile fading from her face. “Did you let them know you were leaving?” 

“They don’t care,” Harry said. “Aunt Marge came over 20 minutes ago, and I’ve already given serious consideration to convincing Rose that she’s Sirius Black in disguise.” 

“That bad?” Sally-Anne asked. 

“She called Dad a drunk and Mum a bitch,” Harry spat. “Yeah. That bad.” 

Sally-Anne wasn’t sure what else to do, so she settled for giving her friend a hug. 

Harry quickly returned the hug; after the lousy night he’d had, he needed one. 

“Thanks,” Harry said, settling down. “I needed that.” 

“I’m really sorry,” Sally-Anne said. “It’s alright. You’ll have a better time with us.” 

“Break it up you two!” called her mum. “Save the snogging for later!” 

Sally-Anne blushed and quickly let go of Harry, realizing that she’d been hugging him too long. 

The pair of them got into the car and began the trip to the theatre. 

* * *

“Let’s go over this one more time,” Hermione said as they turned onto her uncle’s street. “What’s your name?” 

“Rose Peta-Lorrum!” 

“Where are you from?” 

Rose opened her mouth, but said nothing. 

“Glasgow,” Hermione said. “You’ve read every single book about it in the library. It’s called Glasgow.” 

“Glasgow,” Rose repeated. “I’m not sure if I can–” 

“Ref, I know you can hear me,” Hermione said. “Make sure she gets it right.” 

Rose paused, then frowned. 

“Traitor,” she muttered. 

“Rose, please take this seriously,” Hermione pleaded. 

As they climbed out of the car, Emma leaned towards her daughter. 

“Hermione, where is Rose from?” 

“Not from around here,” Hermione muttered. 

“She’s an alien, isn’t she?” her dad asked. 

“Sort of.” 

“What’re we talking about?” Rose whispered. 

“Show time,” Hermione said as her relatives greeted them. 

Reminiscent of their first year at Hogwarts, no less than ten people immediately asked about Rose being white as a sheet. Fortunately, none of them could refute the unknown condition that caused her to be so. 

Rose smiled politely and answered any questions she could. Fortunately for Hermione, Rose utilized her talent for dodging questions she didn’t want to answer to avoid questions she wasn’t supposed to answer. 

Everything was going well until Rose noticed a little girl who seemed to be hiding in the corner. Her mum was trying to convince her to socialize more, but the girl looked scared to death of the idea of talking to other people. 

“Salutations,” Rose whispered to the girl, bending her knees to put her at eye level with the girl. “My name’s Rose. What’s yours?” 

“Estelle,” whimpered the little girl. 

“Estelle, do you like stories?” Rose asked. 

Estelle slowly nodded her head. 

“Me too,” Rose replied. “My mum and dad used to tell me all sorts of stories. I know one about knights and dragons. Would you like to hear it?” 

With more enthusiasm, Estelle nodded. A small smile found its way to her face. 

* * *

Once upon a time, there was a Dragon God called Io. He wanted to perfect everything about dragons, so he created two children: Bahamut and Tiamat. Bahamut represented all that was good, and Tiamat all that was evil. Although they were supposed to grow and learn from each other, creating perfect dragons, they instead became bitter rivals, and they grew to hate one another. 

Tiamat brought all evil dragons into the world, creating her spawn that would wreak havoc and ruin the lives of countless people. 

But to combat her evil, Bahamut began his own army: The Army of Dragonborn. These warriors would fight for all that was good, bringing justice and peace to all corners of the world. This army took up base in the city of Drae’o’nir. 

One of the most famous Dragonborn heroes was known as Arytiss Uxcaex. He was a brave and heroic warrior, leading his people to countless victories. He was promoted to Brigadier-General of the First Drae’o’nir Squadron within two years of joining the army, a feat no one has ever accomplished before or since. 

But Bahamut, Tiamat, and Arytiss aren’t the subject of our story. Instead, it was the person who was constantly overlooked. The boy who had to live in Arytiss’s shadow for his entire life, growing up thinking he was never good enough. This is the story of Bowie Uxmiirik. 

Like Arytiss, Bowie was born as a Spellscale, a Draconic race said to have been descended from dragons. Unlike Arytiss, Bowie was less interested in the war against the Spawn of Tiamat, and more interested in stories. He loved making people laugh, and always had a bad joke to tell people to lighten a tense situation. Bowie loved singing, dancing, and having a good time. 

But Arytiss was the favorite brother. He was the talented one. Arytiss was the brother that made their parents proud. Everyone talked about how Arytiss had been made Brigadier-General so soon after enlisting in the army that no one bothered with Bowie. 

Bowie was often left behind, even by his own parents. He always thought that he was just as important to his parents as Arytiss was, but then one day that illusion was shattered. 

Bowie was putting on a play with some of his classmates, and the whole town was going to see it. But on that very same day was an award ceremony for Arytiss out in the Drae’o’nir camp. Arytiss had received many awards before that day, but Bowie had never been in such a big performance before. It was sure to be a big moment for him, and he wanted nothing more than to see his family out there. 

But when he got up on stage and looked out at the crowd, he didn’t see any of them. Not his mum, not his dad, not his brother. _Both_ of his parents went to Arytiss’s ceremony instead of going to see Bowie perform. 

It devastated him, as it would any child whose parents were insensitive jerks. So on that day, Bowie made a choice. He enlisted in the Drae’o’nir army, becoming a Dragonborn like his brother. 

Now, in order to become a Dragonborn, one must give up all that they were. You are literally reborn as a Dragonborn, casting off almost everything that made you who you once were. He was still Bowie, and still loved singing and dancing and laughing, but he was more committed to serving Bahamut. He sprouted wings on his back and grew shining, platinum scales all over his body. To complete his rebirth, he took the name “Bowie Uxmiirik”, which, in the language of dragons, means “Born of Platinum Song”. 

He was placed in the Fourth Squadron, which is as low as you can go, and was made a flag bearer. The thing was, Bowie wasn’t made for fighting like his brother Arytiss was. He was a Bard, not a Fighter. Even though Bowie gave it his all, that wasn’t good enough. 

What made it worse was his brother’s attitude towards him. Arytiss was proud of his brother for trying, but when Bowie said that he was just as important to the army as Arytiss, Arytiss simply laughed at him, telling him that only the Crusaders, Paladins, and Fighters were _truly_ important. Everyone else was there as support, but not really necessary. 

After several months, Bowie quit and ran off. He found his way to the town of Aurus on the continent of Sentrum. It was there that he met the four people that would change his life forever. 

* * *

“What’s going on over–” one of the adults started to ask. 

“Ssh!” all the kids hissed. 

Hermione had long since noticed a pattern that unexplainable events happened around Rose. Whether it be Rose’s unique ability to make getting into trouble sound like a good thing, or her strange knack for getting Professor Snape to leave them alone in Potions, Rose often displayed a talent for making strange events happen. 

This time, she had managed to collect every child at the party with her story, along with several adults. Due to her increased audience, she had led her flock out into the backyard, where the children either pulled up chairs or simply sat on the ground. 

The strangest detail was how Rose sounded. Normally, she made no effort to sound like a normal person, but she conveyed the story as if she were a different person. 

_Maybe this is her taking it seriously._

“It’s just getting to the good part!” one of them whined. 

“Like I was saying, it was in Aurus that Bowie met Carolina Bulard, Sk’lar Thra’la, and Shadow Black.” 

“That’s not a real name!” one of the kids shouted. 

“Yes it is!” Rose protested. “Shadow Black is a–” 

“No, the middle one!” 

“It’s Elven,” Rose replied. 

“Don’t you mean ‘Elvish’?” another unnamed NPC adult asked. 

“Of course not,” Rose said, frowning. “That sounds ridiculous. Who would call it that?” 

“ _Lord of the Rings_ does,” one of the adults said. 

“What’s th–?” Rose began. 

“ _Anyway_ ,” Hermione said, worried that the topic of fantasy novels would get Rose too far off the beaten path. Worse than that, Hermione was certain that Rose would start commenting on the “flaws” of the award-winning series, or, rather, how it differed from _Rose’s_ definition of magic. “Rose, you were saying?” 

“Right,” Rose said. 

* * *

In Aurus, Bowie met Carolina, Sk’lar, and Shadow, and they formed the group that would one day be known throughout the land as the Exalted. But just after they met, they saw some thieves running away from an old man. The Exalted, being good people, quickly stopped the thieves and returned the money that they had stolen to the old man. 

They talked to him, and learned that the old man was called Harold Strant. What they later found out was that Harold was an expert swordsman, having traveled far and wide, amassing a great fortune by taking on jobs throughout the land. He even fell in love and married an Illumian princess named Veshraolea. Harold had his time, and he was looking to pass on his knowledge, wisdom, and secrets to someone whom he deemed worthy of them. 

As Harold’s son, Edward, had died in battle many years before Bowie and Harold met, Harold had no successor. He had no heir to whom he could pass his wisdom. 

But then along came Bowie. 

Over the next few years, Harold taught Bowie the ways of the swordsman. He even bestowed an ancient blade, known as the _Blade of the Last Citadel_ , upon Bowie. This magical sword grew in power as Bowie grew in skill. 

Bowie became a famous hero, just like his brother, but for different reasons. Bowie’s expertise lay in making _other_ people look good. As a Bard, Bowie could grant other people amazing powers in combat. Even the _Blade of the Last Citadel_ helped him improve his friends. He could empower a house cat to take on a small army. 

But despite all that he had accomplished, Bowie still wanted his parents’ approval, and more importantly, Arytiss’s approval. 

So one day, Bowie and the other Exalted returned to Drae’o’nir, seeking Arytiss. When they found him, Arytiss still didn’t believe in what Bowie did. But after the Exalted helped defend Drae’o’nir, Arytiss began to see something in his brother. 

* * *

“Dinner’s ready!” 

“Sh!” hissed the kids again. 

“We need to stop for a moment,” one of the grownups said. “We can pick this up after dinner.” 

“Why not during dinner?” whined one of the children. 

“Try it without whining,” a man that was probably the child’s father instructed. 

“Can we listen during dinner?” 

“I’m sure she wants to eat too,” the father said, indicating Rose. 

“Not really,” Rose replied. 

“She’s on a special diet,” Hermione cut in quickly. “She can only eat particular foods, so she ate before we left.” 

“I’ll wait for everyone to get food,” Rose said. 

Much to Hermione’s surprise, Rose waited patiently for her audience, which was now the entire party, to get their food and get comfortable. Hermione couldn’t believe how good at telling stories her friend was. 

<You should get food too,> Rose pathed to Hermione. 

<Right,> Hermione replied, completely forgetting about her own appetite. <Thanks.>

As Hermione filled her plate, she continued to wonder what was going on. Since learning about the family reunion and making the flawed decision to allow Rose to attend with them, she’d been so nervous she could hardly think straight. A few times in the past month, Hermione had tried convincing Rose to go visit Luna for the night, but Rose insisted that it wasn’t possible. 

It hadn’t been long before Hermione realized that Rose _wanted_ to go with them. Hermione still couldn’t figure out why, but it was the only explanation as to why Rose brushed off every alternative. Her reasons for doing anything else, including staying home and crafting, weren’t solid, nor did they make any sense. 

Then all at once, it hit her. 

<Rose, are you here to keep me safe?>

<Ha!> Rose exclaimed. 

<What?>

<Shadow owes me 10 gold,> Rose replied. <She bet me that you wouldn’t figure out why I was here before the end of the night.>

<How are you planning on collecting that?> Hermione asked. 

<When I get home, of course.>

<Of course,> Hermione pathed. <So you are here protecting me?>

<Int’s watching Little Moon, so I’ll know if she’s in trouble,> Rose explained. <That’s why I’ve got to conserve charges. I don’t want to run out if she needs me. But if I leave you, you’ve got no one, and you’re a potential target for any number of evil NPCs. I leave, the entire group is undefended, and I like your little cousins.>

<Rose, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but for once, I understand you,> Hermione pathed. 

<You aren’t saying it,> Rose replied, <you’re thinking it.>

In a moment that confused all but two of the adult guests, Hermione rolled her eyes at Rose. 

* * *

Arytiss’s intelligence indicated that the generals of the Spawn army would be holding a meeting in a cave not too far from Drae’o’nir. Arytiss was planning on going in personally to take out the generals, dealing a critical blow to the Spawn army. Sk’lar and Shadow thought it would be a better idea to spy on them instead, so they could learn their plans and stop the entire army instead of just the generals. 

But Arytiss was too proud to listen to newcomers, and Bowie was too obsessed with getting his brother’s approval to listen to his friends. Instead, Bowie and Arytiss left on their own to go after the generals. Needless to say, Bowie’s companions weren’t happy with this decision. 

What made it worse was that it was all a trap. A very obvious trap, in hindsight. As Shadow had pointed out at the time, there was no reason for them to be meeting so close to Drae’o’nir, but like any stereotypical hardheaded general, Arytiss didn’t listen to the voice of reason. 

Arytiss and Bowie found themselves outnumbered and outmatched. Instead of finding the generals in the cave, they found more than 30 soldiers, too many for even Arytiss to take on. See, the cave had a series of tunnels around it, and the soldiers had been hiding in those tunnels. 

Bowie and Arytiss fought with all their might, with Bowie empowering his brother to take down each one with a single hit. But there were too many of them, and more just kept coming. This was surely the end for Arytiss Uxcaex and Bowie Uxmiirik. 

But suddenly, everyone looked to see a dainty, frail Elf walking into the cave. It was Sk’lar, Bowie’s teammate and friend. 

As calmly as he could, Sk’lar explained that he needed his Bard back. Sk’lar was smart, but Bowie was always their face man, so Sk’lar wasn’t used to it yet. 

Fortunately, while Sk’lar had them distracted, Shadow and Carolina were getting into position. When they were finally ready, they attacked! 

Arytiss was strong, and he could take out enemies with a single swing of his sword, but Carolina was _untouchable_! She danced around every strike, using powers granted to her by the Celestial Paragons to aid her friends. 

Shadow used her cunning and wits to subdue her opponents, and Sk’lar used his magic to divide the soldiers, allowing his friends to concentrate on one at a time. 

In no time at all, the soldiers were defeated. The day had been won, thanks to the Exalted. 

What followed was the single most epic lecture that has ever occurred in the history of forever. Bards continue to sing songs about how thoroughly Bowie and Arytiss were chewed out by Carolina. 

Carolina was the most selfless, most kind person that anyone could ever meet. She would willingly give up a fortune if she thought that it would buy a town food and water. But if you did something so foolish, so senseless, _especially_ when it put other peoples’ lives at risk, she would make you feel smaller than a common ant. 

Even Arytiss, the decorated war hero who had faced death a thousand times, was _terrified_ of her. He had put his little brother in harm’s way, all because he was too proud to listen to common sense. 

So you remember kids, if you don’t listen to other people, then you might get into big trouble some day too. 

* * *

After seeing their own show, Harry, Sally-Anne, and her mum were on the way to return Harry to his aunt and uncle’s house. Despite Sally-Anne’s best efforts, she had been unsuccessful in convincing her parents to let Harry stay with them for the night. It wasn’t that she wanted to get up to anything inappropriate, which her mum understood, but that she just didn’t want to return Harry to that wretched place. 

Alas, despite her parents’ understanding, she still had to bring Harry home. 

Harry wasn’t eager to return either. He had enjoyed having a normal life and normal friends. It was almost surreal seeing a normal Muggle family. The Weasleys were great, but they were still abnormal to him. The Perks family was nice and simple, not to mention the play had been wonderful. 

Harry had heard about the play _Romeo and Juliet_ , but he’d never been able to see it. On top of that, listening to Sally-Anne talk about it reminded Harry a little of Hermione talking about Arithmancy. Sally-Anne was so passionate about plays and stories, and it was conveyed when she spoke about them. 

Harry just wished he could hold onto it all for a little longer. 

“I guess this is goodbye for now,” Harry said as they arrived at the entrance to the Underworld. “Thanks for the ride, Mrs. Perks.” 

“Not at all, Harry,” she replied, smiling. “You’re welcome to come over any time you like, so long as you give us more than a few second’s warning first.” 

Harry leaned over to his friend. “Has Rose visited you?” 

“How’d you guess?” Sally-Anne replied, chuckling. 

“Just a hunch,” Harry replied, smiling. “I’ll see you soon, I guess.” 

“I’ll walk with you to your door,” Sally-Anne said, climbing out of the car. 

“You don’t have to,” Harry replied nervously. He _really_ didn’t want people to know just how bad his aunt and uncle were, not to mention Large Marge. Sure, Rose and Sally-Anne both had _some_ idea, but neither girl knew the entire story. They didn’t know that he would go for days at a time without eating, or that his cousin would beat him for fun. They didn’t know that his uncle had once grabbed him so hard that he had broken Harry’s arm, nor that the arm never received proper care. Fortunately, it had been a minor fracture, and it healed on its own (although Harry had never had it professionally checked), so there was probably no permanent damage, but he didn’t want his friends, especially Sally-Anne, to see any of it. 

Harry hated making his friends worry. Unlike Ron, Harry was fine with asking for help when he needed it. Unlike most of his friends, Harry had felt completely useless during the Basilisk fight. He wanted to stand up for himself, just like Sally-Anne was doing. Everyone thought Harry was amazing, but he thought _she_ was amazing. Harry knew better than almost anyone how terrified Sally-Anne was of the Basilisk, but she still jumped out in front of him, stopping it from killing him. Harry barely remembered anything after that, but he clearly remembered Sally-Anne saving his life from the creature she feared the most. 

If that wasn’t bravery and friendship, Harry didn’t know what was. 

“I want to,” Sally-Anne replied. “Come on.” 

Crickets chirped quietly in the cool night air as the pair made their way to the front door. Harry rang the door bell, sparking a lot of shouting from within the household. 

“Thanks again for inviting me,” Harry said. “I had a lot of fun.” 

“I’m glad,” Sally-Anne said. 

For a moment, Sally-Anne wished that Harry would kiss her goodnight, but, not for the first time that night, she reminded herself that they were just friends. Despite the obligatory teasing she would be receiving from her parents, that night hadn’t been a date. No matter how badly Sally-Anne wished that it were. What was worse, she knew that Harry didn’t feel the same way about her as she felt about him. It wasn’t a hunch or lack of self-confidence, but her magic pendant that allowed her to read Harry’s mind. It was a little depressing, actually. 

“Good night, Harry,” Sally-Anne said. 

“Good night, Sally-Anne,” Harry replied. 

Sally-Anne started to walk back to the car when the door opened. She glanced behind her and saw an anthropomorphic pig standing at the door. If Sally-Anne hadn’t known better, she would’ve sworn that Harry had used magic to teach a pig to walk on its hind legs and wear clothes. 

“Where have _you_ been?” Dudley asked Harry, a look of disgust on his face. 

“Out,” Harry replied. He turned back to Sally-Anne, smiling at her one more time. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the light catch something in the distance. It was a pair of eyes belonging to a dog. Harry could barely make out the silhouette of the black dog across the street as it patiently watched them. What was most interesting about this particular dog was that it had been following him. He wouldn’t have noticed if not for the enhancements Rose made to his glasses, but he was certain that it was following him. 

When Harry turned back to the door, he found Uncle Vernon standing in it. 

“You’re late!” he shouted. “You were supposed to be back an hour ago!” 

“No, I told you I’d be back later,” Harry said. “I knew how long the play would be and when it started, and I told you when I thought I’d be back. Actually, I’m _early_.” 

“You’ll do as I say!” roared Vernon. “Get in this house now!” 

He grabbed Harry and yanked him through the doorway. 

Sally-Anne jumped as her friend was wrenched inside the house, and started back to help him. 

Before she took two steps, Sally-Anne felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. She turned around to see her mum smiling at her. 

“Watch this,” her mum said. 

Sarah approached the horrible man currently abusing her daughter’s friend and possible boyfriend (She was already looking forward to teasing Sally-Anne about it). 

“Vernon Dursley, right?” Sarah asked. 

“What do _you_ want?” growled Vernon. 

“You’re the director of Grunnings, the drilling company, correct?” 

Vernon released his grip on the boy and turned to face the woman before him. 

“How do _you_ know that?” 

“Grunnings has got a big contract coming up, so I’m sure someone as responsible as you has kept the facility and equipment up to code.” 

“What?” 

“No corners cut, all problems reported. No equipment issues swept under the rug, such as an issue with the B-147 Terra Drill suddenly malfunctioning yesterday at 1:53 in the afternoon.” 

Everyone stared at her. That was _way_ too specific to have been a guess. She _knew_ something. 

Vernon was so angry he couldn’t think straight. 

“Exposure of that one incident is enough to keep Grunnings busy for weeks with paperwork and investigations,” Sarah continued. “Especially now that you’ve kept it quiet instead of reporting it. By the time you’ve got it sorted out, your major clients will have moved on to your competition.” 

Sally-Anne tried using her pendant to learn about her mum’s secret job, but to her dismay, all she got was the phrase “Get under his skin, then go in for the kill.” 

“What are you saying?!” demanded Vernon, storming up to the stranger. 

“I’m saying, Mr. Dursley, that I can have an investigator to Grunnings before you take your first sip of tea tomorrow morning. I’m saying that my daughter stays in constant communication with your nephew, and if that communication stops, or if we hear that you’re abusing Harry, then an investigator will be looking into everything involving Grunnings, including _you_ , Mr. Dursley. What do you think an investigator would find? An upstanding citizen and his model family, or an abusive caretaker who neglects his _unreported_ nephew?” 

Vernon had no clue who this woman was, but she stood up straight with her hands behind her back, and spoke as if she owned all of Great Britain. Under any other circumstances, she’d probably be someone to whom he’d be sucking up, but instead, she was defending his rotten nephew. 

“What do you want?” Vernon growled through clenched teeth. 

The woman looked past him and at the boy. “Harry, have you got the Hogsmeade form on you?” 

“Yeah, I’ve got it here,” Harry replied, reaching into the bag Rose gave him. 

“I want you to treat your nephew with respect, and I want you to sign that form for him.” 

“I haven’t got a pen,” Vernon muttered. 

Harry pulled out a pen from his bag. “I have. You can use one of my books as a writing surface.” 

Harry was trying his hardest to not laugh at his uncle. He could see Aunt Marge standing in inebriated shock at the door. 

Mrs. Perks was giving Harry’s uncle the payback that Harry had always wished he could give his uncle, and Harry loved every second of it. 

Uncle Vernon grudgingly signed the Hogsmeade form, then Mrs. Perks grabbed the form from him. 

“And I think I’ll hold onto that for safe keeping,” she said, handing the form to Sally-Anne. “And Mr. Dursley, if I hear that you or your sister insulted Harry’s parents again, there will be repercussions.” 

“It’s not a crime for someone to speak their mind!” Vernon shouted. 

“Of course it isn’t,” Sarah said. Keeping her voice low, she added, “But there’s a little crimson-haired girl that likes to make sure justice is served to those who upset her friends. And I hear she’s got a particularly good throwing arm.” 

She left the rotten man with that. 

“Good night, Harry,” Sally-Anne said, smiling. 

“Good night, Sally-Anne,” Harry said, still not sure what had just happened. 

“Mum, you’re _amazing_!” Sally-Anne exclaimed when they were out of Privet Drive. 

“Thank you, but if you don’t mind, I’d rather that incident stay between us ladies.” 

“I won’t tell Dad if you get him to not tease me about Harry.” 

“Aw, but I was looking forward to that!” her mum complained. 

“No ‘buts’, Young Lady!” Sally-Anne replied in her best impression of her mother. “I don’t want to hear it, or I’ll have the entire British Government after you!” 

“I can’t quite send the entire British Government after someone I don’t like,” her mum said, laughing. 

“How’d you know all that stuff?” Sally-Anne asked. 

“The Quality Control Manager at Grunnings owed me a favor,” her mum replied. “He’s been giving me dirt on Grunnings for a few weeks now. That’s all.” 

Sally-Anne used her pendant to try to learn the real truth, but instead got something that shocked her even more. 

_Stop trying to read my mind, Sally-Anne._

“Gah!” Sally-Anne exclaimed. “How did you–” 

“Over the winter holiday, you responded to your father’s thoughts,” her mum explained. “Most people won’t notice when you reply to their internal dialog, because they don’t always realize that other people can’t hear it. When I entertained the idea that you could read other peoples’ minds, it actually made quite a lot of sense.” 

Sally-Anne gaped at her mum. 

“But the conclusive evidence was during our talk. You wanted to be done talking so desperately that you kept finishing my sentences. I started to notice a look on your face when you did it. You had that look just now when you were trying to read my mind.” 

Sally-Anne stared at her mother until a wave of guilt washed over her. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” Sally-Anne said. 

“So long as you’re not using it to cheat,” her mum said. “I assume that pendant’s the source of this?” 

“It is,” Sally-Anne said. 

“And Rose is the source of that pendant?” 

“She is.” 

“Don’t spend too much time poking around in other peoples’ thoughts,” her mum said. 

“Does Dad know?” Sally-Anne asked. 

“I didn’t know until just now,” her mum replied. “I had a hunch, so I didn’t share it with your father. He should know.” 

“Can we wait til morning?” Sally-Anne asked. 

“Of course. It’s been a long night.” 


	3. Grand Day Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which our heroes have a lovely day at Diagon Alley.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** Not even a furtive filcher can steal Harry Potter from J.K. Rowling.

Harry smiled as he saw Ron and his dad pull into Privet Drive. It was nearing the end of summer, which meant he finally got to leave the Dursleys. With Rose’s bag over his shoulder, he was ready to get out of that nightmare, and back to… whatever horrors awaited him at Hogwarts. 

“At least I’ve got friends at Hogwarts,” Harry muttered. 

The small blue automobile pulled into the driveway and Harry walked quickly to the car, eager to leave. 

“Headwig!” he called out to the sky. 

His snowy owl circled overhead, descending through the morning sky to meet him. She landed on his shoulder as he climbed inside the car. 

“Got everything, Harry?” Mr. Weasley asked. 

“Right here,” Harry replied, holding up his bag. 

“Ah, I see you have one too,” Mr. Weasley said as he started up the car. “Fascinating piece of magic. Typically, something like that would start to weigh more, but those don’t have that limitation.” 

“Rose made them,” Ron said. 

“Yes, but how?” his father asked. 

“Never mind that,” Ron said dismissively. “How was your summer, Harry?” 

“Better after Mrs. Perks scared Uncle Vernon senseless,” Harry replied, grinning. “Between her and Rose, my aunt and uncle mostly left me alone.” 

“What?” Ron asked. “What happened?” 

With a big smile on his face, Harry explained the events from a few weeks ago. 

“That’s brilliant!” Ron exclaimed. “How’d she do it?” 

“Sally-Anne said her mum’s got someone inside Grunnings,” Harry replied. “How was Egypt?” 

“Hot,” Ron replied irritably. 

Harry laughed. 

“It wasn’t all bad,” Ron said. “I got Charlie to play chess with me for the first time since he left home.” 

“We saw Bill, too,” Mr. Weasley added. 

“Yeah, but he likes Ginny,” Ron replied. “He never pays much attention to me when she’s around.” 

“Bill’s just looking out for his baby sister,” Mr. Weasley said. 

“Baby’s right,” Ron muttered. 

“I’ll trade you for Dudley,” Harry said bitterly. 

Ron frowned. “How bad were they?” 

“Actually, this year wasn’t so bad,” Harry admitted. “Sure, Aunt Marge was a pain, but she only stayed the week, and like I said, after Sally-Anne and her mum terrified Uncle Vernon, he let me stay in my room until she left.” 

“Well, don’t worry about it now,” Ron said. “For the next week you’ll stay with us, and then it’s back to Hogwarts!” 

“Speaking of Hogwarts, has there been any news about Sirius Black?” Harry asked. 

“Afraid not,” Mr. Weasley said. “The Ministry hasn’t had any luck locating him. They did say they would be heightening security at Hogwarts for the year.” 

“That’s good,” Harry said. 

“It’s really not,” Arthur whispered to himself. 

_Oh no_ , Harry thought. _What is it going to be_ this _year?_

* * *

The Weasleys and Harry all set out for Diagon Alley not long after Harry arrived. 

“I think I’m getting the hang of the flu network,” Harry said after Ron stepped through the fire place. 

“You got to the right place this time,” Ron said. 

“Where _did_ I end up last year?” Harry asked. 

“A shop called ‘Drack and Luli’s’,” replied a Scottish voice, “in a city called ‘Cardiff’.” 

Turning around, Harry saw Rose and Hermione, followed shortly by Hermione’s parents. 

“Thanks again for retrieving me,” Harry said. “I’m still not sure how the network got ‘Drack and Luli’s’.” 

“That’s why you’ve got to enunciate when throwing the powder,” Mr. Weasley said. “Dan, Emma, a pleasure to see you both.” 

“Of course,” Dan said, happily shaking the other father’s hand. 

“I see you’ve beaten us here,” Wilfred Perks said as his family entered the Leaky Cauldron. 

“I told you we should’ve left earlier,” Sarah said. 

“Yes, Dear,” Wilfred said. 

Together, the group maneuvered through Diagon Alley’s maze of streets, following Rose, Hermione, and Mrs. Perks, all of whom had an excellent sense of direction. Rose, however, was voted out of leading them after spacing out and forgetting where she was going. Twice. 

While they were walking, Ron suddenly stopped outside a shop called “Magical Menagerie”. 

“Is it alright if we stop in here for a moment?” Ron asked. “I want to get Scabbers looked at.” 

“Why not ask Hermione?” Ginny asked. 

“Why me?” Hermione asked. 

“You know everything,” Ginny replied simply. 

“It’s true,” Rose said. “She does know everything.” 

“Ginny, I’m flattered, but I don’t know the first thing about rats,” Hermione said. 

“That’s only cos we haven’t got you a book about them yet,” Rose said. 

“What about Rose?” Ginny asked. 

Rose beamed. 

“I like Scabbers in one piece,” Ron said. 

“Oi!” Rose exclaimed. “He’ll stay in one piece! I can probably make him fly, and–” 

“Turn into a bat or something, I know,” Ron said. “I’ll have the professionals look at him.” 

Rose frowned. 

“You’re no fun.” 

Rose, Hermione, and Ron walked into the small store. The store wasn’t well lit, and cages lined either wall beside them. Not all of them were empty, but many of the cages had animals of some sort in them. 

Ron and Hermione walked partway into the shop, where the shopkeeper, a witch in her late 20s, stood holding a broom as if it were a sword. Her eyes darted around the room, apparently searching for something. 

“Hi, I’d like… to…” Ron’s voice trailed off as he realized that the was ignoring him. 

“Are you alright?” Hermione asked the shopkeeper. 

“Yeah,” she replied irritably. “One of the cats escaped earlier and started hunting me. Every time I think I’ve got him, he gets away.” 

“Why not use your wand?” Hermione asked. 

“Damn thing _took_ my wand!” the woman snapped. 

“Seven o’clock,” Rose said, looking at a toad. 

“What?” the woman asked. 

From behind her, a cat lunged at Scabbers. Scabbers darted out of the way, climbing up Ron’s arm, narrowly avoiding the cat’s claw. 

“Crookshanks!” the woman shouted. “You’re mine!” 

The woman dove after the cat, which nimbly sprung out of the way. It lept onto the top row of cages, where it curled up and eyed each of the occupants of the room. 

“Don’t worry about it,” Hermione said, helping the witch off the ground. “Rose can catch him.” 

The witch looked from the bushy-haired girl to her crimson-haired friend. 

“Are you sure?” she asked. 

Hermione turned to Rose, who was staring up at the cat. 

The two stared one another down for nearly a minute, until Rose smirked. 

“Ob, fetch.” 

An animated stick figure erupted out of the shadows and grabbed Crookshanks before the animal could react. The small, pitch black humanoid carried the squirming cat to Rose, but Crookshanks wriggled free at the last second. 

Fortunately, Hermione quickly grabbed the cat before it could escape. 

“It’s alright,” she said softly, stroking the cat’s soft, silky fur. “It’s alright, Crookshanks.” 

Crookshanks began to calm down, purring as he nestled into Hermione’s arms. 

“Finally,” the woman huffed. 

“Rose, what is that thing?” Hermione asked. 

“It’s a cat, of course.” 

“No, not Crookshanks,” Hermione said. She nodded her head towards the stick figure. “ _That!_ ” 

“Obtenebar,” Rose replied. “She’s a furtive filcher!” 

“Huh?” the shopkeeper asked. 

“That’s new on me too,” Hermione said. 

“It’s okay, Ob,” Rose said affectionately. “You did a good job.” 

“She doesn’t make sense to anyone except Luna,” Ron said. 

Obtenebar scampered over to Rose and scaled the small girl until her head poked out from behind Rose’s shoulder. The creature couldn’t have been more than a foot tall, and was completely black except for its glowing, orange eyes. 

“So sorry about all this,” the shopkeeper said. “How can I help you?” 

“It’s my rat, Scabbers,” Ron said, presenting the big rat. “Almost two months ago, he started acting strangely. I know there’s something wrong with him, and I want it fixed.” 

“Settle down,” the woman said, resting her broom on the wall of cages. “Let me take a look.” 

As the shopkeeper quickly checked over Scabbers, Rose inspected Crookshanks. 

“It’s alright, Crookshanks,” Hermione said. “Sit tight, and I’ll put you down later.” 

Despite Hermione’s reassurances, Crookshanks didn’t appear to have any issues with being held. 

“Rose, why are you inspecting him?” Hermione asked. 

“Making sure he’s not a shapeshifter in disguise,” Rose said. “Unlike some animals.” 

“What animals are– Never mind, not worth it,” Hermione said. 

“I don’t see anything obviously wrong with him,” the shopkeeper said. “Were there any recent changes in his environment?” 

“My family went on holiday to Egypt for most of the summer, but he was acting strange before that.” 

“How old is he?” 

“Let’s see… I don’t know. Ten years, maybe?” 

“Ten?!” exclaimed the woman. “That’s a long time for a rat, even a magical one. Typical life expectancy is three years, tops!” 

“Oh,” Ron said. “Maybe he’s just old.” 

“Yeah, I would say so,” she said. “If you’re looking to replace him, I’ve got a lovely cat for sale.” 

“You don’t mean that thing, do you?!” Ron asked, sticking his thumb over at Crookshanks. 

“Oi!” Hermione exclaimed. “He’s a cat, Ronald!” 

“I’m never gonna get rid of him,” the woman said. “He’s been here for years, since no one will take him.” 

“Aren’t kneazles supposed to make great pets?” Hermione asked. 

“What is with you lot and made up words?” Rose asked. 

“He’s only half-kneazle,” the woman replied, “so most people looking for a pure breed don’t want him, even though he’s just as much trouble as a pure breed.” 

“Sort of like you, Hermione,” Ron said, laughing. 

Hermione glared at Ron. 

“What?” Ron asked. 

“He seems fine to me,” Hermione said, breaking her death glare on Ron. 

“Would you like to buy him?” the woman asked, a spark of hope appearing in her otherwise sullen eyes. 

“I’m not sure I’ve got the money,” Hermione said. “It was hard enough convincing my parents to let me keep Rose, so I’m not sure how much help they’ll be.” 

“You know what? Just take him. You’re the first person to ever want him, and all he does is cause trouble around here.” 

“Thanks,” Hermione said. “I’ll need to check with my parents to make sure it’s alright.” 

“Take your time,” the shopkeeper replied, the sides of her mouth turning up in a grin. “I’ll go get the papers to sign.” 

“I’ll go get your parents!” Rose exclaimed. 

A few moments later, Rose returned with Hermione’s mum and dad. 

“What’s this about you wanting a cat?” Dan asked his daughter, eyeing the sleeping tiger kitten in her arms. 

“Mum, Dad, this is Crookshanks,” Hermione said. “The woman working here said no one else wants him. He’s been here for years.” 

“We already let you keep Rose,” Emma said, noticing the stick figure hiding behind Rose’s shoulder, “and whatever this new friend of hers is.” 

“Obtenebar,” Hermione said. 

“What’s it got in its hand?” Dan asked. 

Hermione glanced over, and saw that Obtenebar was holding a wand in its hand. Hermione quickly checked her pocket and found that hers was still there. 

“Have either of you seen my wand?” Ron asked. 

“Ob took it,” Rose replied. 

“Why?!” Ron exclaimed. “Tell it to give it back!” 

“Backing up for a moment,” Dan said. “Cat.” 

“He’s not a kitten, and he’s part kneazle, which is a type of magical cat. He doesn’t have any special powers, before you ask, but he is intelligent. That means he’ll understand us better than a regular cat.” 

Emma glanced over and saw Ronald attempting to pry his wand out of the clutches of Rose’s new pet. 

“So training him will be easy?” Dan asked his daughter. 

“Yes,” Hermione replied. 

“I’ve got the papers,” the shopkeeper said, returning from the back room. “Also, I’ve got to put a price on him, otherwise I’ll get in trouble.” 

Dan and Emma exchanged glances, then nodded to one another. 

“Alright, but he goes with you to school, and he’s your birthday present,” Dan said. “Agreed?” 

“Agreed,” Hermione replied. 

Dan turned to the shopkeeper. “We’ll happily take the cat.” 

“Crookshanks,” Hermione said. 

She smiled and looked down at Crookshanks, who looked back at her with an analytical stare. 

“Looks like us non-purebloods are gonna stick together,” Hermione said. 

“Ha!” Ron exclaimed triumphantly, having finally retrieved his wand. “Wait, what?! You’re actually gonna buy that thing?!” 

“I’d rather have Crookshanks than Scabbers!” Hermione snapped. 

“Hermione!” her mum exclaimed. 

After signing the papers, Hermione took Crookshanks and left. By then, Ron had already left, not wanting to be around Obtenebar or Crookshanks longer than necessary. 

“Hello, Crookshanks,” Sally-Anne said as Hermione approached them with her new cat. “It’s nice to meet you.” 

Sally-Anne slowly offered her hand to Crookshanks, who inspected it thoroughly before deciding that this Human was acceptable. 

Crookshanks wriggled free of Hermione’s arms and hopped down onto the ground. He sat at Hermione’s feet, waiting patiently for her to move. 

“Are you sure it’s alright to let him walk around?” Sally-Anne’s dad asked. 

“It’s alright,” Hermione said. “Kneazles are on par with border collies in terms of intelligence.” 

“What?” Ginny asked. 

“He’s as smart as your brother,” Hermione said in a sickly sweet voice. 

Sally-Anne sighed. “What did Ron do this time?” 

“I didn’t do anything! That thing attacked Scabbers!” 

“Aren’t kneazles supposed to be experts in detecting untrustworthy people and creatures?” Sally-Anne asked. “Maybe he doesn’t like Scabbers.” 

“Or maybe he just wants to eat him!” Ron shouted. 

“Alright, everyone, let’s calm down,” Mr. Perks said. 

“There’s no need to start a fuss,” Mr. Weasley added. 

“Still can’t believe she’s getting that thing,” Ron grumbled. 

After Hermione’s parents left Magic Menagerie, the group continued on towards their last stop: Flourish and Blotts. While everyone was looking around inside, Sally-Anne approached Ron. 

“Ron, what did you do?” Sally-Anne asked. 

“I didn’t do anything!” 

Sally-Anne thought for a moment. Ron never realized when he said something insensitive, so he honestly didn’t realize that he had done something wrong. 

“What did you say?” 

“The woman in Magical Menagerie said that Crookshanks was only a half-breed, and he didn’t really fit in, and I commented that he was like Hermione.” 

That didn’t seem so bad, but Sally-Anne wasn’t sure how accurate Ron’s account was. The way he worded it, it wasn’t bad, but that was assuming that Ron’s account was correct. Ron’s memory wasn’t too bad; in fact, he often remembered facts that even Hermione didn’t know. 

What if he was wrong? 

“That wasn’t exactly it,” Harry said, startling both of them. 

Sally-Anne often forgot how quiet Harry could be. Now that she thought about it, Harry was being quieter than usual. 

_Focus, Sally-Anne,_ she told herself. _Hermione first, then Harry._

“What was it?” Sally-Anne asked. 

“I couldn’t hear it perfectly, but it sounded like the exact words were ‘No one wants him’.” 

“So?” Ron asked. “She still overreacted!” 

“Of course,” Sally-Anne said. “I don’t see the problem there.” 

“Thank you,” Ron said. 

“Like you said, I’m sure she’s just overreacting.” 

“Exactly.” 

“I mean, you’re only a knock-off of Bill and Charlie anyway, so why would it matter what you think?” 

“I’m glad– WHAT?!” 

Ron was taken aback. He had no idea how to respond to something like that. He couldn’t believe it, especially coming from Sally-Anne; she wasn’t vengeful like Rose, she was nice. 

“Now you know how Hermione felt,” Sally-Anne said. She walked off, leaving Ron to wrestle with her words. 

“Now _she’s_ mad at me too!” Ron exclaimed. “Harry, mate, you’re on my side, right?” 

“You implied that no one wanted Hermione,” Harry said. “Hermione nearly left Hogwarts after the troll attack because she felt like she didn’t fit in. That’s what Sally-Anne meant. She’s probably still scared that no one wants her around, and you practically said it to her face.” 

Ron paled. 

“I… I didn’t…” 

“You know what Rose would say?” Harry asked. 

“That I’ve got one round to live?” 

“That, and go apologize to Hermione.” 

“Thanks, mate,” Ron said. “I’m glad you still make sense.” 

Harry let Ron’s words sink in while he watched his best mate run off to find Hermione. 

“Sense,” Harry said. “I’ve got a dog stalking me this year, a murderer out to get me, and I keep getting this weird feeling that someone’s right next to me. Last year I heard voices, and my magic scar burns for no reason.” 

“Why’s a dog stalking you?” 

“Rose, did you do something to something of mine?” Harry asked the girl that had once again appeared out of nowhere. “I swear I can sense people around me.” 

“ _Blindsight_ ,” Rose replied. “It lets you detect anyone within a 30-foot radius. Do you like it?” 

“It’s alright, but please warn me before you do something like that,” Harry said. “I thought I was losing it again.” 

“Seriously, Scarface, why is a dog stalking you?” 

“There’s this dog that keeps following me,” Harry explained. “Actually, I probably wouldn’t have noticed it without the enhancements you keep making to my glasses, so thanks for that.” 

“No problem,” Rose replied. “Have you considered that it wants you to take it home with you?” 

“Rose, I’m serious!” Harry exclaimed. 

Rose tilted her head, then scribbled something in her notebook. 

“What’s that?” Harry asked. 

“My notebook.” 

“Not the book, your note.” 

“Hermione said something about animorphs, or magic animals, or something that’s this plane’s version of _shapechange_ ,” Rose said. “That dog could be a person taking the form of a dog.” 

“Spectacular,” Harry said. “If it’s not a blood thirsty snake, it’s a maniac who can turn into a dog.” 

“I know,” Rose said, grinning. “It’s–” 

“Not remotely exciting,” Harry said, anticipating Rose’s words. 

On the other side of the store, Ron had succeeded in tracking down Hermione. 

“What?” she asked irritably. 

“I’m sorry,” Ron said. “I didn’t mean to say that no one wanted you around. You’re one of my best friends, and… I’m just really sorry.” 

Hermione smiled. When she had first met Ron, he was insensitive and obnoxious. He was too full of himself to admit when he was wrong, so she never would’ve got an apology out of him. Now, he was growing, and becoming an alright person to be around. 

“Apology accepted,” Hermione said. 

“That doesn’t mean that I’m okay with that cat,” Ron said in disgust. 

* * *

After they returned to the Burrow, Rose quickly departed. She began racing across the fields that separated the Burrow from where she really wanted to be: the Rookery. 

As Rose approached the giant, black chess piece, she hopped over the degraded fence that surrounded the property and ran along the zigzagging path that led to the door. 

Once Rose reached it, she knocked gently on the door. 

“Be there in a minute!” came the voice of Mr. Luna’s Dad. 

Rose grinned, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she waited. She glanced to her right and noticed several chalk drawings on the stone wall of the house. 

The door opened, revealing a man with shoulder-length white hair. His clothes were all brightly colored, so much so that they were painful to see. 

“You must be Rose,” he said, a broad grin lighting up his face almost as brightly as his clothes. “Come in, come in.” 

“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Luna’s Dad,” Rose said, curtsying. 

“The same to you, Ms. Luna’s Friend,” he replied as the little girl entered. “Luna has told me quite a lot about you.” 

“I deny everything,” Rose said quickly. “You’ve got no evidence that I caused any of it, and no one can pry information out of me.” 

Rose looked around at the room in which she now found herself. It was a perfect cylinder, with a counter along the wall and a table not too far from it. The counter stopped at a sink, and cabinets were placed unevenly around the room. In the exact center of the room was a metal, spiral staircase that led up and out of sight. 

“All good things, I assure you,” Mr. Luna’s Dad said, laughing. “Luna! Rose is here!” 

“I know,” Luna replied from the top of the staircase. “Int told me.” 

Perched on her shoulder was Intelligencer, his wings folded against his body. Even with Rose now in the vicinity, his ears stood up as he continued to listen for anything that might hurt his charge. 

“Luna! Int!” Rose exclaimed. She _dimension jumped_ to Luna, then swept up both the girl and homunculus in a hug. 

“It’s good to see you, Rose,” Luna said, returning the hug. “How has your summer been?” 

“Boring,” Rose replied gloomily. “Despite a mass murderer breaking out of prison, nothing exciting has happened.” 

“That’s not necessarily a bad thing,” Mr. Luna’s Dad said. 

“But I’m bored,” Rose whined as she jumped over the side of the stairs. “It’s like the first few months of last term before anything exciting happened.” 

“It’s a shame I wasn’t allowed to study that book,” Mr. Luna’s Dad said. “Don’t get me wrong, it was horrible what it did to poor Luna, but I still found it interesting.” 

“I’m alright now,” Luna said. 

“If you want something interesting,” Rose said, “then I might have something for you.” 

“Really?” the man asked. “Luna’s told me about many of your tools.” 

“Let’s start with the basics,” Rose said, removing the black hole charm from her bracelet. 

Before Xenophilius’s eyes, he saw the small charm grow to a large, black hole. It remained rolled up, but the crimson-haired girl spread it out across the kitchen table. 

“This is called a _portable hole_ ,” Rose explained. “It doesn’t weigh anything, and it can carry up to about 282 cubic feet worth of items.” 

“Amazing,” Xenophilius said. “Like Luna’s bag, it doesn’t gain weight?” 

“That’s right,” Rose said, rolling up the hole. She replaced it on her bracelet. “Same with each one of these.” 

Rose explained her bracelet and each of the charms on it, and Mr. Luna’s Dad became more excited with each charm. 

“There are similar methods of storage I know of,” he said. “But they become heavier the more they contain. There are ways of reducing it, mind you, but you can’t just cut it off at some arbitrary number.” 

“Well, then, I feel special!” Rose exclaimed, beaming. 

“Luna has the wildest ideas. And one day, I thought ‘What if they were true?’ Wouldn’t it be amazing if such creatures actually existed? So I began to do research, and soon I found all sorts of exciting theories. The Ministry tries to keep them secret, but I found them.” 

Rose smiled at Luna, who returned the smile. 

“Little Moon’s quite special too, isn’t she?” 

Mr. Luna’s Dad smiled, and for a moment, Rose recognized the look on his face. His eyes were dazed, and there was the faintest hint of a smile. He was lost in a memory of someone he loved. 

“Sorry, just spaced out for a moment,” he said, returning to the present. 

“It’s okay, I do that all the time.” 

“Me too,” Luna added. 

“Rose, would you care to join us for dinner?” Xenophilius asked his guest. “I’ve got quite the feast– Sorry, you don’t eat, do you?” 

“That doesn’t mean I can’t stay for dinner!” Rose exclaimed. 

* * *

Back at the Burrow, Cedric had come by after seeing that the Weasleys were back. 

“There’s no one out here,” he said. “Some times I think my parents picked it because we’re so far out of the way. It’s alright, but I get awfully bored.” 

“Can’t you practice flying on your own?” Hermione asked. 

“I can, but it’s like anything else,” Cedric replied. “You get tired of it after a while, and want to spend time with real people.” 

The boys and Ginny took to the air, once again with the Weasley boys on one team, and Cedric, Harry, and Ginny on the other. 

Harry began to take full advantage of the new enchantment on his glasses. He immediately picked up when any of the boys were around him, and he could sense where Ginny and Cedric were during the match. 

Ron was getting frustrated with receiving the short end of the stick once again. He couldn’t figure out how Harry was getting around him so easily. Every time Ron thought he had Harry faked out, Harry would immediately pick up where Ron was and avoid him. 

What was worse was how easily Cedric was crushing them. Between Harry and Cedric, the opposing team easily moved around the field, tossing the Quaffle between them as if they had rehearsed it. 

After his team had been thoroughly beaten, Ron realized that both Cedric and Harry got to practice at school. Harry was Gryffindor’s Seeker, and Cedric was the reserve Seeker for Hufflepuff. 

“Not anymore,” Cedric had said. “Starting this year, I’m the Seeker for Hufflepuff.” 

“That’s great!” Hermione said. 

“Congratulations,” Sally-Anne added. 

If it wasn’t Harry, it was Rose, and if it wasn’t Rose, then it was Cedric. Everyone got praise and attention except Ron. 

Contrasting Ron’s foul mood during dinner was Harry, who was happier than he’d been all summer. He loved flying, and he loved playing Quidditch. He couldn’t wait to see what he could do when he could detect the Golden Snitch when it was 30 feet away. 

As they all sat down for dinner, Ginny looked around the table. 

“Where’s Rose?” she asked. 

“Did you just notice she was missing?” Hermione asked. 

“She was probably lost in thought,” George said dreamily. 

“Staring at dear Harry,” Fred added in an identical tone. 

Ginny didn’t so much as flinch, but instead asked, “Hermione, you’re closer, would you mind hitting them for me?” 

Hermione looked at each twin, whom she suspected were following Rose’s orders by sitting on either side of her, then jabbed each one with her elbows. 

“Thank you,” Ginny said, smiling. 

“Children, behave,” Mrs. Weasley said. “That goes for all of you.” 

“Really, though, where is Rose?” Ginny asked again. 

“She’s at Luna’s,” Hermione said. “She took off the second we got back.” 

“I guess if anyone would make sense of her, it’d be the Lovegoods,” Percy said. 

“Percy, always good to see you out of your room,” Mrs. Weasley said, just noticing that her eldest local son had joined them. 

“I’m not up there all the time,” Percy said. 

“Yes, you are,” the Twins said together. 

Percy huffed, then took his plate and excused himself from the table. 

“What _is_ Percikins doing up there?” George asked Hermione. 

“Why would I know?” 

“You’re Rose’s best friend, and she must know,” Fred replied. 

“So that’s it?” Hermione asked. “I’m just ‘Rose’s Friend’?” 

“Rose’s _Best_ Friend,” George and Fred corrected. 

“I’m Bill and Charlie’s Kid Brother,” Ron said. 

“The Girl Weasley,” Ginny added, raising her hand slightly. 

“Boy,” Harry said. 

“At least I’m not alone,” Hermione said. “But no, she hasn’t told me. She probably doesn’t care, so it’s something boring, like studying.” 

“I hope that’s all,” Mrs. Weasley said. “I’m worried that he’s getting involved in something he shouldn’t be.” 

Through the entire conversation, Sally-Anne continued to stay quiet. She knew that Percy was upstairs writing letters to his girlfriend, Penelope Clearwater, thanks to her pendant. Even though it might’ve helped her friends to know, she couldn’t explain how she knew without explaining the pendant. 

So Sally-Anne sat quietly and listened to the two conversations going on at the table. On one end of the table were the children, swapping theories about Percy, and on the other end were the adults, swapping stories about what they did for a living. 

“Sally-Anne, I’m not sure I’ve asked, how’s your summer been?” Hermione asked. 

“You did at Diagon Alley,” Sally-Anne said. “It’s been alright. Nothing too exciting going on.” 

“How was the play?” 

“ _Romeo and Juliet_ ,” Sally-Anne said, smiling. “One of my favorites. I know it’s supposed to be a tragedy, and it really is, but some of the lines they’ve got are beautiful. It’s just so poetic the way they talk about one another.” 

“I always thought it sounded cheesy,” Hermione said. “What was it? ‘What light through yonder window breaks?’” 

“‘It is the east, and Juliet is the sun! Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, who is already sick and pale with grief, that thou her maid art far more fair than she.’” 

During her recitation, the rest of the table had quieted down to listen. After she realized that everyone was watching her, Sally-Anne blushed. 

Both of her parents smiled with pride. 

“That’s my girl,” her dad whispered. 

“How do you know that so well?” Hermione asked. 

“It’s one of my favorites,” Sally-Anne said, her face still red. “Romeo is telling Juliet that her beauty shines like the sun, that she’s so beautiful that the moon became sickly with shame. He goes on to say her eyes sparkle like the stars, but if they didn’t, they would be put to shame by her flawless cheeks.” 

“Cheeks?” Ron asked. “Really?” 

Ginny elbowed her brother. 

“Do Muggles talk like that?” Mr. Weasley asked. 

“Not anymore,” Mr. Perks replied. “They haven’t for years, but William Shakespeare, the man who wrote those plays, wrote them hundreds of years ago.” 

“And they’re still done today?” Mr. Weasley asked. 

“ _Romeo and Juliet_ is one of the most famous,” Mr. Perks began. 

_There he goes again_ , thought Molly and Sarah as their respective husbands began to discuss Muggle plays. 

“Have you considered doing theatre work?” Hermione asked Sally-Anne. 

“I’ve thought about it a few times, but I don’t think I’d be good at it,” Sally-Anne replied. “Besides, there’s not much room for it in the Wizarding World, I don’t think.” 

“Then make room,” Ginny said. “Show people what they’re missing! With Hermione and Rose helping you out, there’s no way you can fail!” 

“Thanks, Ginny,” Sally-Anne said. 

After dinner, the Perks and Granger families departed from the Burrow. Rose had returned from Luna’s just as they were leaving. 

“See you soon!” Sally-Anne called to her friends. 

“Just a few days,” Hermione said. “A few days and we’re in our third year. Wasn’t I just a first-year?” 

“I still can’t see why you want to go back,” her dad said. 

“Don’t worry,” she replied. “It’s just one guy; no giant monsters this year. I’ve got Rose with me, and the Ministry is actually sending people to help catch him. We’ll be fine.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look, another Animorphs reference. Never seen any of _those_ in this fanfiction.
> 
> Drack and Luli's is a name I coined that sounds more like Diagon Alley than Knockturn Alley; to my knowledge, it's not a real place.
> 
> And don't worry; next chapter's the Hogwarts Express, and nothing bad ever happens on the Hogwarts Express. Right?


	4. Railway to Baator

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the children discover another problem at Hogwarts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** Dementors, like Harry Potter, are owned by J.K. Rowling.

“Luna!” 

Luna turned to see Rose running toward her. A smile formed on Luna’s face. In a world of constant confusion, Rose was the one constant that told her right where and when she was. 

Rose threw her arms around her “little sister”, who gladly returned the hug. 

“How was the rest of your summer?” Rose asked her. 

“It went alright,” Luna replied. “You just saw me last chapter.” 

“I know, but that felt like weeks ago,” Rose said. “Any luck with the Crumple-Horned Snorkack?” 

“Not yet, but Daddy and I are working on it,” Luna said. “What about your return to De’rok?” 

“Sk’lar and Uncle Oz are working on it,” Rose said. “Sk’lar was able to open a _gate_ to the Rowling Plane last night, but couldn’t pass through it. He thinks we might be able to talk to one another through it.” 

“That sounds like fun,” Luna said as the girls boarded the Hogwarts Express. 

“Yeah,” Rose said as they made their way to the back of the train. “It’ll be nice to hear his voice again, rather than just in my head.” 

“I can see why that might get old,” Hermione said from behind them. 

The three of them found Neville waiting for them at the last compartment of the train. On their way, the girls passed a compartment in which a man was sleeping. 

From the look of him, he appeared to be homeless. His clothes were ragged, his hair was unkempt, and his face was unshaven. Hermione couldn’t think for the life of her why he was sleeping on the Hogwarts Express, unless the staff didn’t realize that a homeless man was using the Express as a bed. 

That was, until Hermione realized the more likely reason: This was their new Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor. Professor Dumbledore had hired Lockhart because there were no other applicants. That meant this man was probably the bottom of the barrel, taking the job simply because he wanted a place to sleep. 

_So long as he’s not Sirius Black_ , Hermione thought. 

After the rest of their group took their seats and the train started to move, Rose handed everyone a pair of blue pearls. 

“Put these in your ears, and don’t ever take them out,” Rose instructed. 

“Why?” Ginny asked. 

“It’s probably best not to–” Hermione began. 

“Continuous _doublespeak_ ,” Rose replied. “I’m working on a second telepathic network, so if you notice them missing, that’s why.” 

“So if we just start talking, then it’ll be hidden to everyone else?” Sally-Anne asked. 

“Not quite. You’ve got to consciously activate it, but I’m sure you’ll be fine.” 

“I don’t suppose we’ve got _status_ worked into this?” Hermione asked as she fastened them into her ears. Oddly enough, the pearls didn’t interfere with her ability to hear. 

“Not yet,” Rose said. “I had other projects over the summer.” 

“Like the kleptomaniac?” Ron asked bitterly. 

“Ob, yeah,” Rose replied. 

“I’m surprised either of you know that word,” Hermione said. 

As Neville fastened the pearls into his ears, he ran through what he wanted to say to Rose. 

_Rose, can you teach me to fight?_ he recited in his head. _Rose, can you teach me to fight?_

“How was your summer, Neville?” Rose asked. 

Neville jumped. “Fine. It was… it was fine.” 

_Come on, Neville, she’s just a person,_ he told himself. _It’s just asking to learn to fight. The worst she can do is say ‘No’. Even_ you _can’t screw this up._

Despite his best efforts, it wasn’t until they were halfway to Hogwarts and the sun had gone down that he finally asked her. 

“Rose, can you–” 

Before Neville could finish his sentence, the train stopped abruptly and the lights went out. 

“What’s going on?” Ginny asked from the other compartment. 

“The train’s never stopped before,” Ron said. 

“It’s cold,” Neville added, looking around. 

As Luna looked around her, she noticed a fog setting in. She blinked a few times, but her eyes started to feel heavy, as if she were asleep. Luna rubbed her eyes, and checked to make sure Rose was sitting beside her. 

The crimson-haired girl was on her feet, but her presence was comforting to Luna. So long as Rose was by her side, everything would be alright. 

Luna was startled by a crash, then looked around her in horror. 

She was in her house, but everything was on fire. The crashing sound was a beam falling from the ceiling as its supports burned away. There was an explosion earlier from down in the basement. Only one person ever went down there. Luna prayed that everything was alright. 

Luna made for the staircase in the middle of the house, taking the steps two at a time. She nearly tripped more than once descending into the basement. There, surrounded by runes and sigils, was her mum. 

“Mummy!” 

Luna ran to her mum as chunks of stone collapsed around her. She shook her mum, but she wouldn’t move. Small fires had started around them, and the house was beginning to collapse. If they didn’t escape soon, they’d be crushed by the falling chunks of debris. Luna knew she had to leave, but she wasn’t going to leave without her mum. 

“Please, wake up!” Luna shouted again, but it was no use. Her mum wasn’t moving, and they needed to leave. Luna was terrified, but she knew it would be alright. She clung to her mum, knowing that any second she would wake up and save them. That was what her mum did; she would always come to Luna’s rescue. So why wasn’t she coming to her rescue this time? 

Maybe this was just another one of Luna’s dreams. It was just a bad dream that seemed real, but she’d wake up any moment to see her mum standing over her. Everything would be fine. 

“Mummy!” 

Somewhere in the distance, someone was calling her name. It didn’t sound like her dad; it was higher in pitch, more like a girl’s voice. Who else would be in their house? 

* * *

“Luna!” Rose cried as Luna began to scream. “Luna, it’s alright.” 

Rose held her friend close, noticing that a thin coating of ice was setting in on the metal of the compartments. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Neville wince and bring his hand to his head. 

“Neville, are you alright?” Rose asked. 

He didn’t respond, bringing his other hand to his head instead. 

<Ref, what’s wrong with Toad?>

<He can’t hear you. All he can hear are screams of agony.>

“Hermione, what’s–” 

Like Luna, Hermione was on the floor, but she was simply staring off into space in horror. She was looking up at the ceiling as if it were about to come crashing down on them. Tears trickled down the girl’s cheeks as her entire body trembled in what Rose could only assume was terror. 

Rose looked across the aisle and saw Harry and Sally-Anne in similar states. Harry was on the floor, presumably unconscious, and Sally-Anne was crying. Ron and Ginny were doing their best to stay calm and figure out what was happening, but Rose could see Ron’s hands trembling. He was trying hard not to lose it. 

<Rose, check your _blindsight_. >

In all the chaos, Rose hadn’t noticed the feeling she was getting that something was near. Looking around, she saw it approach. As she saw it, her eyes widened in fear. 

“Crab apples,” she whispered. 

It laid a skeletal hand on the side of the compartment threshold, then stuck its hooded face inside. The dark gray cloak covered its entire body, and it floated along, surveying the distressed students. 

Rose didn’t know much about her current home, but it was hard to mistake that creature. She hadn’t seen anything else like it in the two years since she had arrived. 

It was a Spektre. Sally had sent his shock troops to intercept the Hogwarts Express. Rose had noticed the cold climate of the Chamber of Secrets, but assumed it was due to the location, not the Spektres. She wouldn’t have noticed the nightmare effect, given that _mind blank_ would stop any attempts to influence her thoughts. But why?! What reason could Sally _possibly_ have for making a show of this?! Was he trying to drive home the point that he could get to her anywhere at anytime? Rose was positive he was trying to keep a low profile, so how was he planning on explaining this?! 

Looking closer, she realized that there was something wrong with this one. Its “cloak” wasn’t a dull green like the rest, but instead a dark gray, almost black. Was this a Spektre? Or was this something else entirely? 

After thinking about it, Rose realized that she didn’t care. _Crimson Thorn_ appeared in her hand, but remained folded up. There was no way she was going to attempt to wield the large double-bladed sword in the small compartment, nor did she need to after the modification she’d made to him over the summer. 

“ _Expecto Patronum!_ ” 

A large, shimmering, ghostly white dog lept at the creature and pinned it to the floor. 

“He’s not here,” came a hoarse voice. “Leave these children alone.” 

Whatever the wraith thing was, it wasn’t pleased with its current situation. It rose up from the ground, then glided off through the train. Rose watched it exit the train at the front of their car. 

Once Rose was certain that it wasn’t coming back, she turned to face the source of the spell. 

Standing before her was the man she had seen sleeping on the train. He wore a worn out old coat, with several holes torn through it, and had dark, greasy hair. 

“What in the name of the Seven, Disgustingly Pleasant Heavens of Celestia was that thing?!” Rose demanded of the source of the voice. 

“That, young girl, was a Dementor,” the man said. Looking around at her friends, he reached into his pocket and produced a few bars of chocolate. He broke off a few chunks and handed one to Rose. “Eat this, it’ll make you feel better.” 

“No, it won’t,” Rose replied, turning down the offered sweets. “I feel fine. A little annoyed that something was allowed on board that’s making my friends so upset, but otherwise fine.” 

The man eyed her. “Are you Rose Peta-Lorrum?” 

“Salutations,” Rose said, curtsying. Despite her polite behavior, she still glared at the man. “How’d you know?” 

“Your reputation precedes you,” the man said. “You should make sure your friends are alright.” 

He handed some chocolate to Rose, then proceeded to hand it out to the members of the other cabin. 

Rose held the chocolate in her hand for a moment to allow Reflectesalon to analyze it. 

<It does not register as poisonous.>

<Told you that was a good idea.>

<I only argued against _detect ship_ , not against any of the other detection spells.>

Rose handed Hermione, Neville, and Luna pieces of the chocolate, then returned to her seat beside Luna. 

“Thanks,” Hermione said softly. “I should’ve known when they said the Ministry was sending guards for the school they’d mean Dementors.” 

“I’m sorry,” the man said. “It seemed to have fixated on this area.” 

“The Basilisk went after us too,” Sally-Anne said. “Not the worst thing that’s happened.” She took another bite of chocolate. “Thanks.” 

“Don’t mention it,” the man replied. “I’m Professor Remus Lupin, by the way.” 

“Are you the new Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor?” Sally-Anne asked weakly. 

“I am,” he replied, sitting down in the aisle, apparently exhausted from handling the Dementor. “Professor Dumbledore asked me to take the Express in case… well, in case exactly this happened.” 

“He knew this was going to happen?” Rose asked. 

“Dementors are attracted to people with bad memories,” the new Defence Professor replied. “He said you lot hold the highest concentration of negativity on the train.” 

“Thanks for coming to our rescue,” Sally-Anne said, forcing a smile. 

“I’m only sorry that I didn’t get here sooner,” Professor Lupin said. 

Sally-Anne looked from one cabin to the other before replying, “I think we’ll be alright. Shouldn’t you check on everyone else?” 

Professor Lupin took one last look at each side of the aisle before climbing to his feet. 

“Probably. I’ll–” 

“Why was it here?” Rose asked. 

Professor Lupin paused for a moment, evidently unsure if he should answer. A hesitation on which Rose picked up. 

“I’ll find out eventually,” Rose said. “I always do.” 

“It was looking for Sirius Black.” 

Rose opened her mouth to protest, but Professor Lupin cut her off. 

“Rose, there’s nothing to do now but make sure your friends are alright,” Professor Lupin said calmly. “You take care of them, and I’ll see to the rest of the students.” 

After Professor Lupin walked off, the train slowly started moving again. Rose helped Luna back onto the seat, and the two of them moved over to make room for the rest of their friends. All eight of them crowded into the single compartment, huddling together until the horrible feelings passed. 

“That was awful,” Harry whispered. “I could just hear this woman calling my name, then everything went black.” 

“I heard screaming,” Neville said. He clenched his fist. “Like people were in pain.” 

“I felt just like when I first went up against the Basilisk,” Ron said. “Or back in the Philosopher’s Stone chambers. I felt so useless, like I should do something, but I was helpless.” 

“The Basilisk,” Sally-Anne said. “It was coming after me again, and I couldn’t stop it.” She started shaking again, and her voice got louder. “I couldn’t run away. I just had to wait for it to… to…” 

“I saw the troll again,” Hermione said, relieving her friend. “It was going to kill me. It was going to kill me, and my parents were never going to hear from me again. I’d never see them again.” 

“I didn’t see anything,” Ginny said. “I just felt like all the happiness was gone in the world. Like there would never be anymore laughter or fun days. It felt like every day was going to be miserable.” 

No one asked Luna what she’d seen, nor did she volunteer the information. They all knew how Rose got when someone pushed Luna too hard. 

“Are you okay, Rose?” Sally-Anne asked. 

“ _Mind blank_ stops any attempts to influence my thoughts or emotions,” Rose replied. 

“Of course,” Sally-Anne said. “Luna? Are you going to be alright?” 

Luna’s dreamy smile returned to her face, but Sally-Anne could see that her heart wasn’t in it. She didn’t speak a word until they pulled into the station at Hogwarts. By then, the veil of misery had lifted, and they were all feeling better. 

Almost immediately after they departed the train, they heard a familiar voice mocking them. 

“I heard you lot had some trouble with the Dementor,” Malfoy jeered. “What’s the matter, can’t–” 

Rose spun around, her wand in her hand. Malfoy immediately went for his wand, but couldn’t find it. 

“What?!” he shrieked. “Where’s my wand?” 

“With what do you think I’m threatening you?” Rose replied, lowering Malfoy’s wand. “Maybe I’ll let you have it back, if I’m in a better mood later. I wouldn’t count on it though!” 

Rose tossed Draco’s wand into her quiver, ignoring the boy’s screams of distress, as the group continued towards the carriages. 

<Good work, Ob,> Rose pathed to her furtive filcher. 

Luna didn’t smile when she saw the Thestrals, but she stopped frowning. Luna stroked one gently, and it nodded its head affectionately. 

“What’s she doing?” Ginny asked. 

“The carriages are pulled by Thestrals,” Hermione explained. “Only people who’ve seen someone die can see them.” 

“Figures,” Ginny huffed. “I killed a basilisk, but nothing for Ginny. No, I need to see someone die.” 

“Don’t worry about it,” Sally-Anne said. “You’re with the right group.” 

As the carriages slowly pulled them up to the castle, Sally-Anne couldn’t help but notice there was still a depressing mood about them, even without the Dementors present. Harry spotted a few off in the distance, confirming everyone’s fears that they would be there all year. 

Although, judging by the look on Rose’s face, they might not last that long. 

The general tone in the Great Hall was about the same. People were starting to feel better, but looking around, there were still plenty of people upset by the Dementors. 

“This is horrible,” Hermione said. “It’s always so loud on the first night, but I can hear myself think.” 

“I know,” Sally-Anne said. “Why does the Ministry think putting Dementors around children is a good idea?” 

Hermione glanced over at Rose, expecting her to be grimacing or glaring, but instead, she was frowning. Not at anyone in particular, either. 

“Rose, are you alright?” Hermione asked. 

Rose didn’t reply for a moment, then absently said, “Yeah. Sure.” 

“Are you sure?” Sally-Anne asked. 

“I said I’m fine!” Rose snapped. 

“There’s no need to be upset,” Sally-Anne said. “We’ll be fine after we’ve had some rest.” 

“Sure,” Rose said curtly. 

After Professor Dumbledore explained not to antagonize or approach the Dementors, the students dragged their feet up to their rooms. 

Before they reached Gryffindor Tower, Alex intercepted their group. 

“Rose, Professor McGonagall wants to see you,” Alex said. 

“Good,” Rose said. “I want to talk to McGonagall too.” 

After Rose broke off from the rest of the group, Harry turned to Sally-Anne. 

“Sally-Anne, I think something’s wrong,” he said. 

“You mean other than the Dementors?” 

“You know how Rose always says ‘professor’ before each staff member’s name?” Harry asked. 

Sally-Anne scrunched her face in thought, and realized that Harry was right. 

“Yeah.” 

“She called Professor McGonagall ‘McGonagall’ just now. No ‘professor’.” 

“That’s odd,” Sally-Anne said. 

“She’s angry,” Hermione said, having overheard their conversation. 

“Someone should really go stop her,” Harry said. 

“Go right ahead,” Hermione said, motioning to the direction in which Rose left. “Be my guest.” 

Harry glanced down the corridor, then said, “Professor McGonagall can handle Rose, right?” 

“I’m not sure _anyone_ can handle Rose,” Ron muttered. 

* * *

Minerva was trying to relax after the ordeal on the train. Who in their right mind had allowed a _Dementor_ to board the Express? Why would Sirius Black have been on the train, for Merlin’s sake?! Did they think Peta-Lorrum had shoved him inside that large black hole of hers? 

Minerva was jolted out of her thoughts by a loud banging on her door. It wasn’t someone knocking on her door; someone was repeatedly slamming their fist against her door, as if attempting to force it to open by slow torture. 

“Come in!” she called. 

Instead of opening the door, her visitor continued to slam her fist against it. 

_Well, there’s only one person who_ that _can be_ , Minerva thought. 

“You can leave the door alone now, Ms. Peta-Lorrum!” Minerva called. “It has done nothing to you!” 

The door was flung open to reveal an angry Gryffindor girl with crimson hair. Her gloved fists were clenched at her sides, as she glared daggers at the Transfiguration Professor. 

“Why?” she demanded, walking into the room, the door closing behind her. 

“Ms. Peta-Lorrum, I wish I could tell you,” Minerva replied. “I don’t know what that Dementor was doing on the Hogwarts Express earlier today.” 

“It was searching for Sirius,” Peta-Lorrum replied. “Professor Lupin already explained that.” 

“Then why–” 

“But why was it allowed on the train?” the girl asked. 

Minerva sighed. Why did Albus insist that they attempt to reason with Peta-Lorrum? Maybe she didn’t respond to standard punishment, but there had to be something. Her behavior was difficult at best. 

“Ms. Peta-Lorrum, we honestly didn’t have a choice. Sirius Black’s escape from Azkaban makes _two_ embarrassments the Ministry has suffered within the past year, and–” 

“They’re overcompensating trying to contain _this_ one,” the girl finished. “I understand.” 

Minerva nearly breathed a sigh of relief, but caught herself. “That’s all I needed to talk to you about. Is there anything else you need?” 

“Nope!” the girl replied cheerfully. Far too cheerfully for a girl whose friends had undoubtedly just relived a basilisk attack, among other nightmares. 

“Ms. Peta-Lorrum, I must warn you,” Minerva said sternly. “If you attack the Dementors, it will be seen by the Ministry as an obstruction of justice, and you will be arrested.” 

“And?” 

“Ms. Peta-Lorrum, you and your friends have unique memories,” Minerva began. “I understand that when they approach a Dementor, they will relive the Basilisk, or–” 

“Moon had to watch her mother die,” Peta-Lorrum snarled. “No one should have to live through that, and especially not more than once!” 

Minerva struggled to remain calm. 

“Moon is Ms. Lovegood, I presume?” 

Peta-Lorrum rolled her eyes. “Who else would it be?” 

“I assume you are unaffected by them?” Minerva asked. 

“ _Mind blank_ ,” the girl replied curtly. 

“Be that as it may, do _not_ attack the Dementors!” 

“Why?” she shot back. “Because I’ll be arrested?! So what?! You should not do something because it’s wrong, not because you’ll get in trouble for it!” 

Minerva was beginning to become impatient with the girl. 

“More wisdom from your siblings?” Minerva asked through clenched teeth. Even she had heard of the tidbits of advice Peta-Lorrum’s possibly made up brother and sister had given the crimson-haired girl. 

“No,” Peta-Lorrum replied smugly. “Worked out that one for myself.” 

_Of course she believes her own morals supersede the law_ , Minerva thought. 

“Only when they do,” Peta-Lorrum shot back. “Seriously, learn Occlumency. I’d hate to have Professor Dumbledore leave such an _embarrassment_ in charge of Hogwarts again.” 

Minerva snapped. She had had enough of this child, and if Peta-Lorrum made it out of that office alive, it would be a miracle. She no longer cared about Albus’s opinion of the girl. 

“Care to repeat that, Peta-Lorrum?” Minerva said, rising out of her chair. 

“Sure,” the girl said, jumping up on Minerva’s desk to put the two of them at eye level. “I said you’re an _embarrassment_ to Hogwarts. I’ve been getting information out of you for _years_ , and you’ve done nothing to stop me. When that happened to Bowie, it got his brother _killed_. In _your_ case, it nearly got Professor Snape, you, and I all killed.” 

“What?!” Minerva snapped. 

“Only three people apart from myself knew about my sensitivity to sound in the Philosopher’s Stone chamber,” she said. “Professor Dumbledore, Professor Snape, and you. Quirrell didn’t learn it from the _men_ , so it must’ve been _you_ whose mind he read. The _woman_.” 

Minerva clenched her fists at her side. 

“Quirrell couldn’t–” 

“But Voldemort _could_ ,” the girl said. “They were sharing a body, so how hard do you think it would have been for Tommy to have read your mind, _Minerva_?” 

“I think that’s quite enough,” a calm, wise voice interjected. 

Both of them turned to see Professor Dumbledore entering the Transfiguration Professor’s office. 

“I was informed by one of the portraits that I should make my way here immediately before someone was killed.” 

“And _you!_ ” Rose shouted at the Headmaster. She hopped off the desk and strode straight over to him. “What’s wrong with you?! Allowing those _things_ onto the grounds!” 

“If I hadn’t, Rose, I would’ve been arrested for obstruction of Ministry business,” Albus replied calmly. “They wouldn’t have put Professor McGonagall in charge, either. The Ministry would’ve placed one of their own in charge, who would no doubt have insisted that more Dementors were placed around the grounds. Please believe me when I say I know _exactly_ who would’ve been put in charge, and, believe it or not, I would prefer Lucius Malfoy be placed in charge of Hogwarts rather than that woman.” 

Rose took a few deep breaths, which Albus took as a good sign. He glanced behind her and saw Minerva’s face. 

Minerva was trembling with barely contained rage. 

“The Dementors guard Azkaban.” 

“Correct,” Albus replied. 

“Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban.” 

“Once again, correct.” 

“So he can sneak right past the Dementors.” 

“It seems so.” 

“So the Ministry decides to solve this by sending _more_ Dementors, even though they failed to contain him inside a high-security prison.” 

“Yes.” 

“To whom does that make sense?!” Rose screamed. 

“Logic is a rare gift in this world,” Albus said. “There are few that will logically assess a situation as their first idea.” 

Rose’s demeanor mimicked Minerva’s in almost every way. Had the situation been half as tense as it was, Albus knew he’d find it amusing. 

“Why those things?! Send Enforcers after him! Send professors after him! Send Madame Bones after him! She seemed competent! She didn’t even stop to question why a basilisk’s severed head was in High Emperor _Gau Halak’s_ office, she just went straight after me! That was brilliant!” 

“‘Enforcers’?” Minerva asked, slowly calming down, but, in a moment that reminded her of two years ago, remained ready to expel and/or kill the girl if she saw the chance. 

“Yeah, Enforcers,” Rose replied. “You know? They’re the ones that are _always_ late to stop an NPC attacking the PCs, but are right there when the PCs attempt to shoplift.” 

“I believe you mean Aurors,” Professor Dumbledore said. “Law enforcement, yes?” 

“Yeah,” Rose said. “Why not send _them_?” 

“Fudge certainly doesn’t trust the professors, nor me. I believe he has sent the Dementors because they will not attempt to aid Sirius Black, as he knows there is no way to threaten, intimidate, or reason with them. Therefore, not only will they not assist Black escaping, they–” 

“Don’t you dare,” Rose said, becoming even more enraged at the Headmaster than she had been. “Don’t you _dare_ attach that name to him!” 

“I’m afraid I don’t understand,” Professor Dumbledore replied, once again, ensuring his voice remained calm. “Help me understand, Rose.” 

“Shadow Black is my best friend,” Rose said, fighting to keep her voice level. “ _She_ holds the name Black. Not some second-rate maniac from this screwed up plane!” 

Albus was quickly becoming concerned about the little girl from another world. Even when Luna Lovegood had been taken into the Chamber of Secrets at the end of the previous term, Rose had stayed relatively calm. Now she was screaming, angry, and if Albus had to take a guess, there might have been tears in her eyes if she weren’t mostly undead. What was different _this_ time? 

Albus knelt down to put himself at eye level with the little girl. 

“Rose, what else is bothering you?” 

“I’m fine,” she replied defiantly. 

“No you’re not,” Professor Dumbledore replied. “I have seen plenty of misfortune come your way, more than most in your position, but never have I seen you like this. Please, tell me how to help you.” 

Rose didn’t say anything for a long time, but Albus was thankful for the silence. It gave everyone a moment to calm down and think about what they were saying. 

“My friends are suffering,” Rose said at last. “Mum and Dad were heroes. Sk’lar and Ali took care of me before they even knew me. Carolina will sacrifice anything to help people. Uncle Oz was the only person at Arcrel to show me kindness, and I wasn’t even the same species. I want to be just like them. I’m bad at it, but that’s why I like Shadow so much. She’s bad at it too, but at least we can be bad at it together.” 

A weak smile found its way to her face, but vanished as quickly as it’d come. 

“Last year, you wanted my help. You were all terrified that I was behind the basilisk attacks, but I thought I proved that I was a good person. I ran into the Chamber of Secrets to save Little Moon because I thought that was the right thing.” 

“Of course it was,” Albus said. 

It was an odd feeling, but he somehow felt… validated, as if all the trust he’d placed in her was well-placed. 

_I knew you were a good person, Rose. Deep down, behind the layers of regrettable arrogance, you are a good person. With a lot of behavioral issues._

“Now you’re asking me to sit by and watch them suffer just to make your incompetent government happy.” 

“I don’t want them here either, Rose,” Albus said. “I promise you that if you leave the Dementors alone, then they will leave you and your friends alone.” 

“What if they come inside?” Rose asked. 

“If they enter the castle, then you’ve got my blessing to tear through them like…” 

“A first-level Wizard’s spellbook?” 

“Yes. They aren’t allowed inside the castle; I was adamant about this. The Minister fought me on it, but I had the backing of some of his advisers.” 

Rose glared at Professor Dumbledore, who stared kindly back at her. 

“Fine,” she agreed. 

Without another word, she stormed out of Professor McGonagall’s office. 

“I don’t know why you buy all that nonsense she tells us,” Minerva said after the girl was gone. 

“Because I don’t believe it to be nonsense,” Albus replied. “Neither does she.” 

“If any other student–” Minerva hissed. 

“But she _isn’t_ any other student,” Albus replied, still calm. “We both know she can find Sirius Black, although I don’t know the limits of her powers to do so.” 

“You let her get away with whatever she wants!” 

Albus took a deep breath. He was quickly growing tired of explaining himself to everyone, but such was the life of someone in charge. 

“I don’t like the way she speaks to us either,” Albus said. “I wish she would respect our authority like the other students, but until I find a punishment that sticks, we can’t do anything. We can’t expel her, as I suspect she’d be back within an hour, if she left at all.” 

“So we just put up with it?!” Minerva snapped. “That’s your solution?” 

“I don’t want to lose another student to the other side,” Albus said firmly. “Once we get rid of the Dementors, Rose will calm down and realize what she’s done. She gets carried away, but she’s not currently dangerous. Even if her family doesn’t exist, she does something that undeniably calms her down.” 

Albus stood still for a few moments to let his words sink in. 

“I don’t like her,” Minerva said finally. “I can’t see how you put up with her.” 

“You’ve seen the stack of complaints I get about Severus and Argus every year,” Albus said. “I’ve got a knack for finding difficult people.” 

“What was the Muggle phrase?” Minerva asked. “Oh yes. ‘We are _not_ amused.’” 

Albus knew Minerva well enough to know that her making jokes signaled her agreement. 


	5. Holy Hippogriffs!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which plans go awry, but all is not lost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** Holy Hippogriffs, Batman! Did you know that J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter?

The next morning, every student received their schedules, and every student looked at theirs in confusion. Instead of the usual scattering of classes throughout the week, classes were laid out in an organized fashion. Rather than large and small blocks of classes, classes were lined up back-to-back. 

Murmurs spread across the Great Hall as each one realized what their new schedule meant. 

“As you have all noticed,” Professor Dumbledore said, “the schedules are different this year than they have been in the past. Thanks to the diligent work of Professors McGonagall and Vector, the schedules were arranged in such a way that every student was able to be accommodated. There were some students with peculiar schedules this year, but all the issues raised by this have been sorted. Depending on how well these schedules turn out, we may continue to use them in the coming years.” 

Hermione looked at her schedule. It was packed with classes, but Wednesday was completely open except for a single entry at nine titled “Professor Vector’s Office”. Hermione didn’t know why Professor Vector would want to see her every Wednesday for the rest of the year, but knew that she would soon find out, as the first of two weekly Arithmancy classes was on Tuesdays. 

“We’ve got _Potions_ this morning?!” gasped Ron. “You’ve got to be kidding me!” 

“At least we’ve got Care for Magical Creatures right after that,” Sally-Anne said. 

“No classes on Wednesdays!” Ginny exclaimed. 

“No more double Potions,” Harry said. 

“We’ll drink to that,” the Twins said, raising their glasses. 

After surviving Potions that morning, the group walked out onto the lawn, with Rose leading their pack. Harry was on the lookout for Dementors, but the only ones he saw were off in the distance. 

“Still can’t believe those things are here,” he muttered. 

“They won’t be for long,” Neville said. “Rose will take care of them.” 

“What do you think class is going to be like?” Sally-Anne asked her friends, hoping to lighten the mood. 

“I bet Hagrid will have amazing monsters for us to see,” Harry said. 

“If he mentions acromantulas, I’m leaving,” Ron said. 

“Aragog doesn’t leave the Forbidden Forest,” Rose said. “Don’t worry.” 

“Who?” Ron asked. 

“Mr. Hagrid’s pet acromantula,” Rose replied. 

“Why does Hagrid have a pet acromantula?” Hermione asked. 

“No reason,” Rose said. “Actually, I don’t know the reason. I guess he just wanted one.” 

“Who cares?” Harry said. “At least it gives us a break.” 

The group arrived to find Hagrid standing beside a small group of what almost could’ve been griffons. The back half of one looked like a horse, with powerful hind legs and beautiful tails, but the front half was that of an eagle. Large, powerful wings adorned each one, matching the wicked beaks and talons each had. There was a smooth transition from feathers to hair as one looked at the front half to the back half. 

“Hippogriffs?” Ron asked. 

“Very good, Ron!” Hagrid exclaimed. “Er, I guess I’m suppose ter call yeh ‘Mr. Weasley’ now. Anyway, thas good work doin’ the readin’s!” 

“It wasn’t bad once we found out the trick to the books,” Rose said. “Thanks for giving us an animated book. It made studying more exciting.” 

“I still think there’s an actual trick to the book other than punching it on the cover,” Hermione said. 

“Jus’ stroke it on the spine,” Hagrid said. “Calms it right down!” 

“Told you,” Hermione muttered. 

“Yeah, _that’s_ just as much fun,” Rose replied. 

They waited a few more minutes for the rest of the class to arrive. They were less than happy to discover that the rest of the class involved Malfoy, whose wand had been returned to him earlier. 

“Remember, Draco,” Rose said cheerfully as he arrived. “We’re all friends here.” 

Draco replied to this with a look of disgust. 

“Now that we’re all here,” Hagrid said, looking down a class list. “I’m Professor Hagrid, but I respond jus’ as well to jus’ ‘Hagrid’. Welcome ter Care for Magical Creatures. Our first lesson is on the care ’n’ handling of Hippogriffs. These three ’re Soarstreak, Buckbeak, an’ Grayguard. No one approach them yet until I’ve told yeh the proper way ter do that.” 

Neville looked from their large professor to the three creatures that stood patiently on the ground. 

_You’re kidding, right?_ Neville thought, eyeing the talons at the end of each one’s forelegs. The talons alone looked like they would rip someone to shreds if they crossed a Hippogriff wrong. 

“Now, Hippogriffs are very proud creatures,” Hagrid continued. “So approach ’em slowly, otherwise it’ll offend ’em. What yeh do is yeh walk slowly, then bow when yer about five feet in front of ’em. If one starts to get rowdy, that’s how yeh know it’s time to bow. Show yer respect, and wait fer ’em to show yeh theirs.” 

_I’m not sure it’s safe to go near those,_ Hermione thought. Like Hagrid… _Professor_ Hagrid said, Hippogriffs were proud creatures and would attack a person if they looked at one wrong. A Hippogriff was no mountain troll, but they were still fearsome creatures. All the strength of a thoroughbred horse, and just as lethal as a bald eagle. 

“Now, who wants to give it a try?” Hagrid asked them. “Any volunteers?” 

All but one student couldn’t get away from them fast enough. The students took a few steps away from them, leaving one girl with her hand in the air. 

“Me!” Rose exclaimed. “Me!” 

“Alright, Rose– er, Ms. Peta-Lorrum. Remember, approach them cautiously, then bow.” 

Rose looked at the three of them, then chose the one in the center. She approached the Hippogriff, cautiously, looking him straight in the eye. When she was exactly five feet away from him, and thus within his range of attack, Rose curtsied, bowing her head as she did. 

“ _Salutations,_ ” she said in its tongue. 

“ _Well, that’s not something you see every day,_ ” the Hippogriff replied. “ _How does a Human come by our tongue?_ ” 

“ _A magic spell taught to me by the Guardians of the Green_ ,” Rose replied. “ _Defenders of the woodlands and all its inhabitants_.” 

The Hippogriff bowed its head, and Rose arose to face it once again. 

“Well done!” Hagrid exclaimed. 

“ _What is your name, child?_ ” the Hippogriff asked. 

“ _Rose. Rose Peta-Lorrum._ ” 

“ _I am Buckbeak, Rose Peta-Lorrum, and I appreciate your respect._ ” 

“ _I give it willingly to those that have earned it,_ ” Rose said. 

“ _Tell me, Rose Peta-Lorrum, have you ever seen the ground from high above?_ ” Buckbeak asked. 

“ _I have_.” 

“ _Would you like to again?_ ” 

“ _Are you offering me a ride?_ ” 

“ _I am._ ” 

Rose grinned. 

“ _I respectfully decline, but only because I’ve got a better idea._ ” 

Hermione didn’t know what Rose was saying to the Hippogriff, but the length of their conversation was beginning to worry her. 

“ _Oh?_ ” 

“ _How about a race?_ ” 

“ _You’d be at a disadvantage,_ ” Buckbeak said, flapping his wings. “ _I can fly._ ” 

Rose smirked. 

“ _So can I._ ” 

With that, Rose began to change shape. Her skin turned white as snow, and her cloak folded into her body. A pair of wings sprouted from her back as she fell onto her hands, which quickly turned into hooves. A great white mane popped out of her growing neck, and within a few moments, where Rose once stood, there now stood a Pegasus. 

“ _First one around the castle wins!_ ” Rose exclaimed, and took off into the air. 

Less than a second after Rose took off, the three Hippogriffs took off after her, leaving the class to stare at the spectacle. 

“Hermione,” Ron said. 

“Yes, Ron?” 

“What just happened?” 

“I’m not sure,” Hermione replied. “That’s new on me, but if I had to guess, I’d say Rose just used _shapechange_ to turn into a Pegasus and is now racing the Hippogriffs.” 

“Why?” 

Hermione looked at Ron. “You need to ask?” 

“Probably not,” Ron replied. 

* * *

Rose soared through the morning sky, the warm sun shining down on her face. It was a beautiful morning, with a perfect blue sky decorated with just a few white, puffy clouds. The cool air whipped her mane as she beat her wings, keeping just ahead of the Hippogriffs. She dived towards the Great Lake, grazing the water with her hooves. 

When she was sure no one could see her, Rose changed back into her Human form. She removed her glove and felt the cool water against her fingertips. Then, Rose dove under the water, flying back out again after a moment. Rose laughed as she spun around in midair, creating tiny ripples in the lake as she flung drops of water onto its surface. 

As Rose approached the castle, she changed form back into a Pegasus, ensuring that no one saw _her_ flying, but instead a majestic, cloud-white winged horse. 

Rose banked around the castle, catching a glimpse of bored students listening to one of the professors lecture. When they saw Rose, all eyes watched her as she and a small crowd of Hippogriffs flew past. 

As she flew around the Astronomy Tower, Buckbeak flew past her. As a Pegasus, Rose had a flight speed of 20 feet per second, whereas a Hippogriff had a flight speed of around 17 feet per second. At least, that’s how it worked in Rose’s world. 

She watched as the other two Hippogriffs slowly passed her, then realized that they would be better at flying than she; after all, they’d been flying their entire lives and Rose hadn’t. 

As Rose flew through the air, for the first time since the Hogwarts Express was stopped by a Dementor the previous day, she felt happy. Rose felt free. She was Rose Peta-Lorrum, the Crimson Artificer of Arcrel, once again. She was the Mistress of Crafting, not some lunatic that was mad for worrying about her friends. Rose didn’t feel bound by the rules of her current plane, but instead felt as if nothing could stop her. 

Rose saw Buckbeak approaching her class, and her heart sank as she realized that her fun was almost over. She wanted that moment to never end. She never wanted to land, and just stay in the air forever, high above the problems of Hogwarts. 

_Alright_ , Rose thought. _Now I understand why Harry likes flying so much._

As Rose thought about it more, Scarface had more problems than most people; he was targeted by dark wizards on a regular basis, harassed every day at Hogwarts, but unlike the rest of their friends, he had no family to whom he could return at the end of the term. Instead, Harry was forced to stay with his aunt and uncle, who would abuse him and make his life miserable. 

<Ref, can you do me a favor?>

<Anything you require, Rose,> Reflectesalon replied. 

<I need you to remind me to make something for Harry that lets him fly on his own.>

<I can, but wouldn’t that draw more attention to him than he wants?> Reflectesalon asked. 

Realizing how much Harry _hated_ attention, Rose agreed. 

<We’ve got to do something.>

Rose looked at Buckbeak, who was just inches ahead of her, then got an idea. 

<I think I’ve got something. Thanks for your help, Ref.>

<Of course, Rose.>

As the ground rushed up to meet her, Rose changed back into her Human form. She tucked and rolled as she hit the ground a split-second after Buckbeak. Rose laughed as Soarstreak and Grayguard touched down behind her. 

The rest of the class gave her their usual look of “Are you crazy?!” 

“ _You did well, Human_ ,” Buckbeak said arrogantly. “ _If you practiced, you might stand a chance._ ” 

“ _Yeah, it’s been a while since I’ve flown,_ ” Rose replied. “ _I’ve gotta do that more often._ ” 

Rose walked with the three Hippogriffs back to where Mr. Hagrid had them at the start of class, then glanced over at the confused professor. 

_If he won’t say it, I will_ , Rose thought, turning to the rest of the class. 

“Who’s next?!” 

Rose looked out at the class, realizing that none of them were going to volunteer. 

_Alright, I’ll have to pick someone_ , Rose thought, appearing next to Harry. 

“Come on,” Rose said, taking Harry’s arm. “Your turn, Scarface.” 

“I really don’t want to,” Harry replied, trying to free his arm from Rose’s clutches. 

“Yes, you do,” Rose said, grinning. “You just don’t know it yet. It’s even better than flying on a broom. Trust me, they’re a lot faster than that wooden stick of yours.” 

Harry thought about that for a moment, then looked at the Hippogriff to whom Rose was leading him. He had wicked looking talons, and that beak could probably kill Harry in seconds. 

“It won’t take nearly that long,” Rose said. 

On the other hand, Harry loved to fly. He loved soaring through the air, putting his problems, putting Sirius Black, the Dursleys, and Voldemort all behind him and being completely free. He was willing to try anything that might compare to flying on his broom. 

“I guess I can–” 

“Out of my way!” Malfoy snapped as he shoved them aside. 

Harry nearly punched the obnoxious Slytherin. He had been so excited to try something new, something that could beat out Quidditch in terms of how much fun it was, but Draco Malfoy was once again there to make Harry’s life more miserable than it already was. Malfoy didn’t compare to the rest of Harry’s problems, he was merely the icing Harry’s cake of misery. 

Harry started off to confront Malfoy, and Rose was willing to let him. It was about time the boy learned to fight his own battles. However, two of her friends thought differently. 

<Rose, stop him!>

Rose didn’t know what intrigued her more: the fact that Reflectesalon was lately giving her more orders than normal, or that Hermione and Reflectesalon harmonized so well together. 

Rose grabbed Harry before he got himself into trouble. 

“Let Buckbeak handle it,” she muttered. 

Unfortunately for Hermione, she wasn’t referring to Harry, but _Malfoy_. Hermione turned to Ron and Sally-Anne. 

“Be ready,” she whispered, triggering the pearls to hide their conversation. “If Malfoy gets hurt, it’ll be Buckbeak that gets punished for it.” 

Sally-Anne and Ron nodded, and Ron slowly drew his wand. 

Draco walked straight up to the filthy creature in front of him. 

_If she can do it, so can I_ , he thought as he looked at the Hippogriff. 

Draco approached it, completely forgetting to bow first. He reached his hand out to touch Buckbeak. 

“ _You insult me!_ ” Buckbeak shouted. 

Buckbeak reared up, knocking the Slytherin onto the ground beneath the Hippogriff. 

In the few seconds before he was shredded to ribbons by the beast’s mighty talons, Draco began to wonder if he had made a horrible mistake. 

“ _Accio Malfoy!_ ” 

“ _Seu Strada!_ ” 

Draco was ripped away from the beast as it fell onto a translucent disc that appeared between it and Draco. An invisible force pulled the Slytherin straight back towards none other than Weasley, who looked far too smug for someone with so little influence. 

Rose and Harry watched as Buckbeak bounced off the disc, then dropped to the ground after it vanished. The Hippogriff quickly looked around for Malfoy, then charged at him after spotting him next to Ron. 

Everything happened at once: Hagrid ran towards the creature, desperate to stop it before it got in trouble; Ron, Hermione, and Sally-Anne stood firm, hoping to do the same thing; the other students backed away from Malfoy, eager to remove themselves from the path of the charging Hippogriff. 

Hermione looked to Rose for help, but it was clear from Rose’s face that she had no intention of stopping Buckbeak. Hermione instead turned to Sally-Anne to ask her to help, only to find that the dirty-blonde girl was exhausted; but that didn’t stop her from trying. 

“ _Seu Strada!_ ” 

Another disc appeared in front of Buckbeak, but this one was less pronounced than the previous one. Sally-Anne’s arm shook as she sustained it against the force of a charging Hippogriff. 

The second Buckbeak collided with the disc, it shattered, dissipating before their eyes. 

Hermione pulled out her wand as Buckbeak approached them, then pointed it at the ground. 

“ _Sa Harna!_ ” 

The ground beneath Buckbeak sank in on itself, taking the Hippogriff with it. The creature thrashed against the force of the sand, but couldn’t break free. 

“Buckbeak!” Hagrid shouted as his pet sank into the ground. 

Hermione stared at Buckbeak’s feet, and the moment he was up to his knees in sand, she waved her wand again. 

“ _Harna Solay!_ ” 

The sand hardened, causing Buckbeak to be stuck fast. 

“It’s alright, Buckbeak,” Hermione said soothingly. “It’s alright. He didn’t mean to offend you. He’s just an idiot.” 

“Why you–” 

“Do you want her to save your life?” hissed Ron. “Yeah? Then shut it!” 

Buckbeak continued to thrash, trying to free himself from the sand. 

“ _It’s alright_ ,” Rose said. “ _She’s a friend, and she’s right._ ” 

“ _You do not understand, Rose Peta-Lorrum!_ ” Buckbeak declared, glaring at Rose. “ _That Human has insulted me! I must defend my honor!_ ” 

“ _Hermione thinks that’s a bad idea. I don’t know why, but whatever the reason, it’s a good one._ ” 

“ _You want me to trust another Human?_ ” 

“ _I just want you to trust_ me.” 

Buckbeak looked from the Greasy Human, to the Bushy-Haired Human, to Rose Peta-Lorrum. Slowly, he ceased his thrashing in the sand. 

“ _Alright. I will trust you, Rose Peta-Lorrum._ ” 

Rose waved _Serendipity_ and soften the ground beneath Buckbeak, freeing the Hippogriff from its grasp. 

“That thing’s a monster!” Draco declared. “Once I tell my father about this–” 

Rose cut him off by appearing right in front of his face. When she spoke, she emitted a pair of voices to accompany her own, making the girl sound nothing short of demonic. 

“If your father learns one word of this, I’ll tear out his entrails and feed them to you in your next meal!” she hissed. 

As Draco looking into the blood-red goggles of the Gryffindor, for the second time that day, he wondered if he had made a mistake. 

“You were informed not to dishonor them,” Hermione added, “and you blatantly ignored that. This isn’t Buckbeak’s fault, it’s yours!” 

“If it hadn’t been for us, Malfoy, you’d be dead right now!” Ron shouted. 

“Thas enough!” 

Everyone stopped dead in their tracks and looked at Hagrid, the source of the thunderous boom that echoed through the edge of the Forbidden Forest. 

“Malfoy! Yer knew the rules! Ten points from Slytherin!” 

“You overgrown oaf!” Malfoy snapped. 

“Ten more!” Hagrid roared. “All of yer go back to the castle to talk with Professors McGonagall and Snape about this! The rest of yer can continue with the lesson!” 

With that, Harry, Hermione, Sally-Anne, Ron, Rose, and Draco all began the journey back to the castle. 

“I can’t believe this!” Draco whined. “Who is he to–” 

“Draco, he’s the one that tried to tell you how not to act,” Sally-Anne panted. “But that doesn’t matter now. It’s over, and no one got hurt.” 

“Shut up, Mudblood!” Draco spat. 

“She’s just trying to help!” Harry snapped. 

“You lot didn’t help!” Draco said. “I’ve never been so humiliated in my life!” 

“Really?” Ron asked. “ _That’s_ the most humiliating thing that’s ever happened to you? Not Rose taking your wand yesterday, or sticking you to the ceiling, or losing to her hundreds of times? No, _this_ was humiliating. Being _saved_ by us. That’s clearly worse than anything else.” 

“It doesn’t matter,” Draco muttered. “I’ll have that oaf sacked before he eats his breakfast tomorrow.” 

“What do you think is going to happen when we get to the castle?” Hermione asked. “You think we’re going to go straight to Professors Snape and McGonagall and tell them what happened? There’s still 20 minutes left before classes change, and it won’t take us 10 to reach the castle.” 

“Professor McGonagall’s with the second-year Ravenclaws and Slytherins right now,” Rose mumbled. 

“So we can’t just stop by Professor McGonagall’s office,” Harry said. “I’ll bet Professor Snape is with a class too.” 

“Then what was the point of sending us away?!” shouted Malfoy. 

“To get _you_ away from the Hippogriffs, and to separate _us_ from the rest of the class,” Sally-Anne said. “Leaving us there risks a fight breaking out that could anger the Hippogriffs and get someone seriously hurt. With us out here, it’s five against one.” 

“And even _you’re_ not that thick,” Ron added. 

“What did you say, Weasley?” Malfoy snapped. 

“What we _can_ do when we reach the castle is find Professor Snape and tell him what happened,” Hermione said. “The Dungeons are closer, so we’ll start with him. After that, we’ll go to Professor McGonagall on the first floor.” 

“I’m not going anywhere with any of you!” Draco snapped. 

“We all go together, so we can tell the story that really happened,” Hermione said. 

“Only one of the Gryffindors should talk,” offered Sally-Anne. “That way it’s not five against one.” 

That was odd. Why were the Gryffindors diminishing their power? Draco would’ve thought they would want to outnumber him to reduce his story to hearsay. 

“What?!” Ron exclaimed. “Why let him–” 

“Because it’s fair,” Hermione said. “Sally-Anne’s right. We’d want the Slytherins to do the same if we were in Malfoy’s position.” 

“As if I would,” Draco muttered. 

“Exactly,” Hermione said. 

“Who speaks from us?” Harry asked. “What about Rose?” 

Hermione glanced back to make sure that Rose was still with them. Sure enough, there was the crimson-haired girl, walking silently at the back of their group. 

“No offence Rose, but you’re not the best at negotiating with Professor Snape,” Sally-Anne said. 

Rose said nothing. 

“I think Sally-Anne should do it,” Harry said. “She’s better at talking to people.” 

“Aw, how sweet, Potter,” Draco sneered. “I guess if _I_ had to pick between the mouse and the beaver, I’d pick the mouse for my girlfriend too.” 

“Alright,” Hermione said. “Let’s _not_ nominate someone, fabricate a story that depicts Malfoy as a villain, and not give him a chance to tell his side to either professor.” 

“What?!” Draco shouted. “You won’t–” 

“Then shut it!” Ron snapped. 

“I see she’s got you trained, Weasley,” Draco sneered. “That’s the second time today you’ve done that.” 

“I agree with Harry,” Hermione said. “Sally-Anne’s the best choice.” 

“Thanks,” Sally-Anne said, flattered by her friends’ kindness. “Ron?” 

“I’m not talking to Professor Snape if I don’t have to,” Ron said. 

They reached the castle a few minutes later and started down towards the Dungeons. 

“What are we planning on doing?” Harry asked. “We can’t just knock on Snape’s door if he’s with a class.” 

“It’s not like he does anything during class,” Ron said. “He just walks around frightening everyone.” 

“No, he doesn’t, Weasley,” Draco snapped. “He makes sure we’re doing the potion properly so we don’t hurt ourselves. Not that _I_ need anyone’s help.” 

“Maybe with the Slytherins, but not with the Gryffindors,” Sally-Anne said. “He leaves us to fend for ourselves.” 

“I thought you lot didn’t need help,” Draco said. “What with Granger boasting about how she’s memorized textbooks, and Peta-Lorrum reciting random passages from some obscure reference. It’s even rubbing off on Weasley, for Merlin’s sake.” 

“Draco, in the two years I’ve known you, that’s the first time you sounded like a person,” Sally-Anne said. 

Ron snickered, but Sally-Anne elbowed him. 

“What?!” 

“I’m serious,” Sally-Anne said. “I don’t mean that as an insult, but you’re always boasting about how much better you are than everyone else, but that was the first time you sounded genuinely upset about something. Even though you didn’t name me in that, I’m sorry that it bothers you so much.” 

“Nice try,” Draco scoffed, “but pretending to be nice to me isn’t going to stop me from telling Professor Snape about what happened.” 

“And you always assume people are out to get the upper hand on you, but we’re not,” Sally-Anne added. “We’re just kids that want to be left alone.” 

Draco narrowed his eyes. He didn’t believe the Gryffindor for a second, but there was something about the way she was talking. Whatever trick she was using, Draco had to learn it; she almost had him convinced that she cared. 

Sure enough, when they reached Professor Snape’s classroom, they found him with a class, but it sounded like they were wrapping up. When he saw the group standing outside, he quickly made his way over towards them. 

“What?” he asked irritably. 

“Professor Hagrid told us to come find you,” Sally-Anne said. “We had an incident with the Hippogriffs. We’re going to Professor McGonagall next.” 

“Why go to me?” Professor Snape asked. 

“Because it also involved Draco, and it wouldn’t be fair to just go to our head of house and not his,” Sally-Anne replied. 

Professor Snape looked at each of them in turn. 

“You six are skipping lunch today,” he said. “Instead, you will be meeting with McGonagall and I. You are dismissed.” 

Without another word, Professor Snape turned around and closed his classroom door. 

“He forgot to tell us where to meet,” Harry said. 

“Who cares?” Draco said as he began to walk away. 

“We will, when we’ve got no idea where we’re going,” Hermione muttered. 

“We’ll be fine,” Ron said dismissively. 

“Professor McGonagall will handle it,” Sally-Anne said. “She’ll make sure we get where we need to be.” 

“What if she doesn’t?” Harry asked. 

“We’ll be fine,” Sally-Anne said, smiling at him. 

The others agreed, and together they continued on their way to Charms. On the way, Hermione dropped back to talk to Rose. 

“Are you alright?” Hermione asked. “I’m not sure I’ve ever seen you be this quiet.” 

“I’m fine,” Rose said dismissively. 

“You were gonna let Buckbeak rip Malfoy to shreds,” Hermione replied. 

“He left you for dead, and poisoned Sally-Anne,” Rose said. “For once, I thought it might be good for him to realize that his actions had consequences.” 

“You threatened to feed him his father’s entrails,” Hermione shot back. “And you transformed in front of the class. What’s wrong?” 

“I’m _fine_ ,” Rose snapped. 

Hermione kept walking, trying to think of what to do. If Rose continued like she was, someone was going to get hurt. 

_There must be something I can do_ , Hermione thought. _Maybe Professor McGonagall will know what to do._

* * *

“Welcome to the Study of Ancient Runes,” Professor Babbling opened Ancient Runes later that day. “The basic foundation of runic magic is that certain structures can shape magical energy in a similar way to your wands. Once a structure is charged, it can hold energy. The stronger the structure, the stronger and more durable the effect it creates.” 

Bathsheda looked over her class. She was glad to see Sally-Anne there, although she was accompanied by two of her friends. 

Bathsheda knew about Hermione Granger from Septima’s boasting about how amazing her prodigy was, and knew all about Rose Peta-Lorrum from Albus’s required readings on and Severus’s constant complaints about her. It didn’t surprise her that the former would be taking Ancient Runes; after all it was closely related to Arithmancy. 

“Contrary to the name of the course, we don’t just study ‘ancient’ runes, but runes in general. In this class we will look at a variety of runes and runic applications. Many runes are derived from the runic alphabet, for which the subject was named, but additional runes have been developed outside of this, including circular runes, named for their distinctly circular shape, and polar runes, named for polar functions of mathematics.” 

Seeing one or two concerned faces, Bathsheda added, “Before anyone panics, don’t worry; I’ll leave the Arithmancy to Professor Vector. There is some overlap between the two subjects when it comes to Arithmantically derived runes, but I won’t be delving into them much until the sixth year of this class. Just like with Transfiguration or Charms, I won’t delve into how the magic is derived, just how it works. The difference is that our building blocks will be runes, not verbal words or wand movements.” 

As was common for her class, about half of her students were from Ravenclaw, a handful were from Slytherin and Hufflepuff, but there were three times as many Gryffindors that year than the last, for a grand total of three Gryffindors. 

Bathsheda was one of the professors who hated the houses because they didn’t encourage students to pursue their dreams, but instead to cave to expectations. Thus, even though at least half the Ravenclaws didn’t want to be there, they felt they had to because it was required of them. With a few exceptions, Gryffindors didn’t want to be labeled as “clever”, so they opted for the “easy” classes such as Care for Magical Creatures or Divination, even if they wanted to take Ancient Runes. 

“Applications of runes involve runic circles, which alter the nature of magic within them, and linked runes. A linked rune has one or more mate, which will be altered when one of the others is altered. Does anyone know the most famous use of a linked rune? I’ll give you a hint: It’s more of a pictograph than a rune.” 

Everyone looked around, apparently wondering if someone else knew the answer. Finally, a single hand was raised. 

“Ms. Peta-Lorrum?” 

“The dark mark,” she replied. “Used by Vol–” 

“Very good,” Bathsheda said, cutting off the girl who was known to throw around the name of the most vile being to live like it was nothing. “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named used it to summon his followers, each of whom have it imprinted on their person. This brings me to another topic: powering runes. All runes are powered from the structure into which they’re engraved; the stronger the structure, the more power the rune will have, and the longer it will last. This includes runes tattooed onto a person’s flesh.” 

Bathsheda glanced at Sally-Anne as she said this. The third-year was pale and sickly, meaning she had come down with the flu since breakfast, or had done something about which Bathsheda had specifically warned her. 

“We will not be learning all of this in one year,” Bathsheda said. “We will delve into each of these topics, learning the history of runes and their various applications. There will be a lot of studying and reading, but my class isn’t nearly as difficult as many people claim it to be, and my door is always open if any of you require extra help. We’re quite lucky this year to have an entire day each week set aside for just that.” 

After class, Professor Babbling asked to see the girls before they left. 

“Professor, I don’t mean to be rude, but Professor McGonagall’s expecting us,” Hermione said. 

“I only need a moment, Ms. Granger,” she said, turning to Sally-Anne. “Are you alright?” 

“I’m fine,” Sally-Anne replied. 

“You overused the rune, didn’t you?” 

“I’m sorry, Ma’am.” 

“Sally-Anne, I’m not mad, simply concerned,” Professor Babbling replied. 

“She used it to fend off a full-grown Hippogriff before it could kill Butterhead,” Rose said. 

Bathsheda blinked as she attempted to understand the girl’s words. 

“She means Draco Malfoy,” Hermione said. 

“The boy who left you girls for dead against a mountain troll and tried to poison Sally-Anne?” 

“That’s exactly what I said,” Rose said. 

“I’m sure I don’t need to remind you–” Professor Babbling began. 

“The rune is powered by myself or any magical spell it absorbs,” Sally-Anne said, “so using it against a non-magical source means the energy comes out of me.” 

“Very good,” Professor Babbling said. 

“Why can’t it absorb kinetic energy?” Hermione asked. 

“I’m sorry?” Professor Babbling asked. “I’m not familiar with that term.” 

“Kinetic energy is the energy of motion,” Hermione explained. “Couldn’t the rune be modified to absorb that as well?” 

“Honestly, I don’t know,” Professor Babbling replied. “You’d want to talk with Professor Vector about that, Ms. Granger. Although, even if it can, I no longer possess the notes on the subject. I can direct you to the published work on the subject of the Shield Rune, but that may only help so much.” 

“Who has the notes?” Hermione asked. 

“Pandora Kapisa,” Professor Babbling replied. 

“Luna’s mum,” Rose said, glaring at Professor Babbling. 

“That’s right,” Bathsheda said, eyeing the crimson-haired girl. “So I don’t think it’s right to bother them about it.” 

“No, it’s not,” Rose said. 

Hermione glanced down and spotted the most common sign of Rose’s anger: her clenched fists. 

“Rose, no one’s talking about asking Luna about it,” Hermione said. “I was just wondering, not asking if we could actually do it.” 

Bathsheda looked up and saw Minerva watching them from outside the door. 

“I believe you girls are being summoned,” she said. “Sally-Anne, please get some rest. Ms. Granger, I would encourage you to look into this; even if it may not be possible, it’s still a good idea.” 

“Thank you, Professor,” Hermione said. 

The girls joined Professor McGonagall, who was accompanied by Ron and Harry. 

“Professor–” Hermione began. 

“Please wait until we’ve got everyone together, Ms. Granger,” Professor McGonagall said. 

The group walked up to the seventh floor, then straight to Professor Dumbledore’s office, where they found the man himself, along with Draco and Professor Snape, waiting for them. 

“I hear there was an incident this morning during class,” Professor Dumbledore said. “As it involves two houses that are often at each other’s throats, I’ve been asked to mediate.” He tossed a coin in the air, catching it in his hand. “Mr. Malfoy, why don’t you tell your end of the story first?” 

“We were in class, and I was doing everything that man told us to do, and–” 

“That man being Professor Hagrid?” Professor Dumbledore asked. 

“Yes,” Draco replied. “I approached one of those creatures, just like I was told to do, then it attacked me out of nowhere! It knocked me to the ground and tried to kill me!” 

“What a frightening tale,” Professor Dumbledore said. “How did you escape?” 

“What?” 

“If it tried to kill you, why aren’t you dead?” Professor McGonagall elaborated. 

Draco paused. He didn’t actually know the answer to that. 

“Ms. Perks, why don’t you tell us?” Professor Dumbledore asked. “What happened after Mr. Malfoy was so wrongly attacked by Buckbeak?” 

Harry and Hermione exchanged glances. They had both picked up on it, even if the others hadn’t. If Professor Dumbledore knew the name of the Hippogriff that attacked Malfoy, then he must’ve been told by someone else. 

Hermione mouthed the words “Hagrid told him” to Harry. 

“Ron summoned him, and I threw a shield up to stop Buckbeak from hurting him,” Sally-Anne said. “Then after Buckbeak charged, I threw up another shield, and when that failed, Hermione turned the ground to quicksand to stop him.” 

“ _Sa harna_?” Professor McGonagall asked. 

“Yes, Professor,” Hermione said. 

_If you were any other student, Granger, I’d wonder why you know that spell_ , Minerva thought. 

“After Hermione stopped the sand, Rose talked to Buckbeak and calmed him down,” Sally-Anne finished. 

“That seems like a lot of trouble to go through to help someone that doesn’t like you,” Professor Snape said. 

“It doesn’t matter,” Sally-Anne said. “A person’s a person.” 

“That’s a very mature perspective, Ms. Perks,” Professor Dumbledore said. “I see no incident here. Professor Hagrid already informed me that Mr. Malfoy was deducted points for his actions. In his professional opinion, the boy didn’t handle Buckbeak properly, and as a result, was nearly killed.” 

“But–” Draco began, but was silenced by glares from Professors McGonagall and Snape. 

“I’m sure the Ministry will agree with me on this,” Professor Dumbledore continued. “Professor Hagrid has been proven capable of handling dangerous creatures, and was certified by the Ministry in this regard over the summer. Now, I think we can all use some lunch. I, for one, am rather hungry, and I hear there’s custard for dessert.” 

As everyone shuffled out of his office, Albus asked, “Ms. Peta-Lorrum, would you mind staying for just a moment?” 

Rose stopped walking and turned around. After everyone else had left, the Headmaster addressed her. 

“First, thank you for the idea to have Professor Hagrid’s record expunged.” 

“What?” 

“Your story about your brother being imprisoned got me to thinking about Professor Hagrid. With the Basilisk coming to light, I told the Ministry that it must’ve been controlled by Parseltongue, and, as Professor Hagrid is a half-giant, there’s no way he’d be given the gift. Therefore, his arrest was stricken from the record, the case was sealed, and his freedom was restored.” 

“And my story did that how?” 

“Your brother must’ve had his record expunged before taking over Episti, correct?” 

“Not really,” Rose said. “There wasn’t time.” 

“And yet they allowed a convicted criminal to take over?” 

“They don’t care,” Rose replied. 

“Nevertheless, thank you,” Professor Dumbledore said. 

“Sure.” 

“One more question: Why didn’t you stop the incident today entirely?” 

“I wanted to see Butterhead get what he deserved,” Rose said. 

“Ms. Peta-Lorrum, I have always said that you wouldn’t harm a student, something you’ve promised me wouldn’t happen.” 

“I didn’t hurt him,” Rose said. “I just didn’t stop harm from coming to him.” 

“Rose–” 

“I listened to you,” Rose said. “I followed all of your rules, but then you put my friends directly in harm’s way. I trusted you, Professor; I still trust you. I’m sure you’re working on a plan to get all this sorted out, but until then, your students… _my friends_ are suffering. If you’re half the headmaster I think you are, you’d already have this sorted.” 

Without waiting for a reply, Rose turned around and left Professor Dumbledore’s office. 


	6. Catching Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which people discuss the last two chapters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** Just to make sure everyone's caught up, I'll remind you that J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter.

Once they reached the common room, Harry and Ron went straight up to bed before something else exciting had so much as a chance to happen. 

“I’m not risking it,” Ron said as he headed for his room. “If we stick around here too long, something’s going to go wrong, and I’ll regret not going to bed.” 

“It’s only the first day,” Sally-Anne said. “Tomorrow will be better.” 

“Doubtful,” Rose muttered as she began the trip up the stairs. 

“I hope so,” Hermione said as she made her way to their room. “I can’t wait for Arithmancy.” 

“What’s so great about Arithmancy, anyway?” Ginny asked. 

“What’s your favorite thing to do?” Sally-Anne asked the second-year. 

“I dunno,” Ginny replied. “I guess I like Quidditch.” 

“Alright, so it’d be like playing Quidditch twice a week,” Sally-Anne said. “That’s what it’s like for Hermione.” 

“I guess that’s not so bad,” Ginny said as she started up the stairs. 

No sooner than her foot touched the step, the girls heard a crashing sound from the common room. 

Sally-Anne looked over and saw an entire bookcase on its side, and two boys standing around it, laughing. It wasn’t the Weasley Twins, though; one of them was Jonathon, Alex’s cousin, and the other was one that Sally-Anne recognized from the Sorting the previous night. His name was Brett Nertlyn, which made him Jonathon’s younger brother. 

“BOYS!” shrieked their cousin. “How many times–!” 

“Alex, I’ve got this,” another boy said irritably. “Jonathon’s one of mine, and I’m capable of handling him.” 

“Right, sorry Phil,” Alex said. 

“Ha ha!” Brett jeered. 

“You two, up to bed, right now, or I’ll have a talk with Professor Snape to get you both extra assignments!” Sally-Anne shouted before she realized what she was doing. She stormed over to confront them. “Don’t believe me? Ask anyone! He’s always happy to make Gryffindors suffer! Now march!” 

“But Sally-Anne!” Jonathon started. 

“I don’t want to hear it!” Sally-Anne shouted. “March!” 

Grumbling something under his breath, Jonathon, followed by Brett, began the long walk up to their own rooms. 

Both prefects stared at Sally-Anne. 

“How’d you do that?” Phil asked. “I’ve been trying to get Jonathon to listen to me for a whole year, and I’ve got nothing to show for it.” 

“I couldn’t tell you,” Sally-Anne said, smiling sheepishly. “I’m sorry for undermining both of your authority.” 

“Whatever gets the job done,” Phil said cheerfully. “I’m gonna get some shuteye before my rounds. Catch you girls later.” 

Phil patted Sally-Anne on the shoulder on his way past, leaving the girls mostly alone in the common room. Sally-Anne glanced over her shoulder and saw that her friends had already gone up to bed. Other students filed in slowly, but paid no mind to the bookshelf. 

“How come there’s never anyone around when you need them?” Sally-Anne asked, looking around the common room. 

After hearing no reply, she looked over to see Alex staring off into space. 

“Alex?” 

Alex looked up at Sally-Anne. 

“Sorry, what?” 

“Alex, it’s alright,” Sally-Anne said. “You’re a prefect, remember? You can take points from them. I don’t think you yelling at them is helping anyone.” 

“Right,” Alex said. She rubbed her eyes. “Yeah.” 

“You’re not the first prefect to have siblings at Hogwarts,” Sally-Anne said. “I know, because Percy’s got the Twins, and no offence to your cousins, but they don’t compare to Fred and George.” 

“Yeah,” Alex said again. 

Sally-Anne frowned. 

“Is everything alright?” Sally-Anne asked. 

“I’m fine,” Alex said. 

“I’ve got to stop asking that question,” Sally-Anne said. “Between you and Rose, no one answers me honestly. Let’s try this: What’s wrong?” 

Alex sighed. 

“Sally-Anne, can I talk to you as a friend?” Alex asked. 

“Alex, we _are_ friends,” Sally-Anne replied, sitting down in front of the fire. “Remember? I’m pretty sure that was one of the first things you said to me two years ago when I started school here.” 

Alex nodded, then joined Sally-Anne next to the bookshelf. 

“I’m on edge because I’m a little annoyed that I wasn’t picked for Head Girl,” she admitted as the two of them lifted the shelf back into place. “I was so sure I would be picked, but then Penelope Clearwater, one of the Ravenclaw prefects, was chosen instead of me. I don’t understand why it wasn’t me.” 

“I’m sorry,” Sally-Anne said. 

“I do well in all my classes, I take good care of you girls,” Alex said. “Well, I guess I screwed up last year.” 

“That’s not fair,” Sally-Anne said. “Rose drags us along, and people can’t really stop her. You stayed up waiting for us when we went to fetch Harry from the Philosopher’s Stone chamber. I don’t know Penelope that well, but I doubt she’d have done that for the Ravenclaws.” 

“What about the incident today?” Alex asked. “I don’t see the Ravenclaws getting into trouble.” 

“We didn’t get into trouble,” Sally-Anne said. “We worked to save a guy that, as everyone keeps pointing out, has tried to kill us or left us for dead twice in the past two years. Then you’ve got the Ravenclaws that my friends found harassing Luna last year.” 

“Luna Lovegood?” Alex asked. 

“Yeah,” Sally-Anne said. “So if you need more proof that it was a bad decision, you’ve got the Gryffindors that tried to save someone who hates us, and Ravenclaws that were bullying one of their own. Whatever the reason Professor Dumbledore chose Penelope, it wasn’t because her girls turned out better than yours.” 

“You’re on fire today, Sally-Anne,” Alex said approvingly. “First the Hippogriff, then handling Malfoy, the professors, and my cousins like a pro. I don’t know what you want to do with your life, but I’m sure you’re gonna be good at it.” 

“Thanks,” Sally-Anne said. “Whenever I’m upset, Dad says to stop wallowing in self-pity, because he says it only makes it worse. Why don’t you ask to see Professor Dumbledore?” 

“The Headmaster doesn’t just talk to anybody,” Alex said. “I never spoke to him directly until two years ago when I became a prefect, and even then I don’t usually get directions from him.” 

“Really?” Sally-Anne asked. “I’ve already talked to him once today.” 

“I think you’re a special case.” 

“Then talk to Professor McGonagall. Maybe she’ll know something.” 

“Maybe,” Alex replied. “Speaking of the incident earlier today, are you girls alright?” 

“You already asked that during lunch,” Sally-Anne said. 

“Right, when you were pale as a sheet,” Alex said. “You overused that rune of yours.” 

Sally-Anne frowned, confused as to how her prefect knew that. 

“I never said that.” 

“I’m in Professor Babbling’s class, Sally-Anne,” Alex replied. “She talked about the Shield Rune last year. Professor Babbling always does this class just before the exams where she just talks about whatever people want to talk about, so long as it relates to runes.” 

“That sounds like fun,” Sally-Anne said. “I’m taking runes now.” 

“I know,” Alex said. “I keep a list of the classes you girls take in case anyone needs help or something.” 

Sally-Anne smiled. 

“For the past two years, I’ve always been worried about one thing or another, whether it be a large dog or a giant snake, but I just realized that I’m never worried about the small things. That’s all you, Alex. When I came here, I was so scared of everything because I had no idea what to expect. I’m timid without being in a new world, but on top of that, I thought no one would be there to help me. But then I met you, and you told me that it’d be alright. I wouldn’t have made it past the first day without you, Alex.” 

“Thanks, Sally-Anne,” Alex said. “That means a lot.” 

Sally-Anne leaned in closer. “I never told anyone this, but when I saw how badly Hermione was handling first year, I nearly left. I thought if someone as smart as Hermione couldn’t handle it, then someone like me was never going to last.” 

“You could’ve told me,” Alex said. 

“I didn’t want to bother you,” Sally-Anne replied. “Now, I don’t care.” 

“It’s my job to be bothered by you,” Alex said, laughing. “I think you know that now.” 

“I do,” Sally-Anne said. She yawned, then said, “I’m going to bed. It’s been a long day.” 

“Sleep well, Sally-Anne,” Alex said. “If you have bad dreams, don’t feel ashamed to talk to me; it’s perfectly normal to have nightmares when Dementors are about.” 

Sally-Anne offered a weak smile to her friend. 

“You already have,” Alex said. 

Sally-Anne nodded. 

“I promised myself I wouldn’t let it bother me,” she said. “There are people that count on me, so I’ve got to put them first.” 

“All I’m asking is to put yourself before me,” Alex said. “I’ll be alright on my own.” 

“Well–” 

“And even if I weren’t, you’re still my responsibility for the next year. Get some rest, Sally-Anne. You’ve earned it.” 

Alex watched the other girl walk up to her room, then finished cleaning up the mess that Jonathon and Brett had left for her. 

* * *

The next morning, while the rest of the third-year Gryffindors enjoyed a free period, Hermione made her way to the seventh floor for Arithmancy. 

“Happiness sucking demons or not, it’s still Arithmancy,” Hermione said to the empty classroom. 

“Good morning, Hermione,” Cedric said to her when he walked into the classroom not two seconds later. “How are you?” 

Hermione jumped, startled by the unexpected noise. 

“I’m sorry,” Cedric said. “I didn’t mean to startle you.” 

“I’m alright,” Hermione replied, blushing a little. “How are you?” 

“I’m doing well,” Cedric said. “Although, I’m not sure you understood my question. Are you doing okay?” 

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Hermione asked. 

“Word got out that that Dementor on the train went straight after you and your friends before we even reached Hogwarts, and then whatever happened yesterday.” 

“What happened yesterday was nothing,” Hermione replied dismissively. “Not the first time Malfoy has done something stupid, and probably won’t be the last.” 

“Did he really almost get himself killed?” Cedric asked. 

“He did, but he also antagonizes Rose on a regular basis, and if he does that _now_ , she _will_ kill him.” 

“It’s only been a day with the Dementors,” Cedric said. “I know they’ve got a bad effect on people, but it shouldn’t have happened that fast.” 

“There’s something else bothering her, but she won’t say what.” 

Cedric nodded. 

“Hold on, your dad works for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures,” Hermione said. “Did he know they were sending Dementors?” 

Cedric paused for a moment, then replied, “Yes.” 

“Did _you_ know about them?” Hermione asked, raising her voice. 

After another pause, Cedric nodded. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” Cedric said. “Honestly, I thought I wouldn’t need to. I thought–” 

“That one on the train came after us!” Hermione shouted. “It wasn’t looking for Sirius Black, it was coming after us!” 

“I’m really sorry, Hermione,” Cedric said. “No one should have to deal with them outside of Azkaban, especially not us, but they’re here to help. I’m sure we’ll be fine.” 

“How can something like _that_ be helpful?” Hermione asked. “Harry passed out, and Luna didn’t say another word all night. I don’t think Luna’s fully recovered, and I think Rose is actually contemplating murdering someone.” 

“I still didn’t think she’d actually hurt students,” Cedric said. 

“Not the students, no,” Hermione said. 

“I’d hope not,” Professor Vector said as she walked into the classroom. 

“Although, she was awfully angry two nights ago when she went to see Professor McGonagall,” Hermione said. “Come to think of it, Professor McGonagall didn’t seem too thrilled with Rose yesterday during class.” 

“So I’ve heard,” Professor Vector said. “The nerve of that girl, talking to a teacher like that.” 

“What did she do?” Cedric asked. 

“I’m afraid it’s not my place to say, Mr. Diggory,” Professor Vector replied. 

“What’d she do?” Cedric whispered. 

“I don’t know,” Hermione said. “Rose hardly spoke a word yesterday. Like I said, something’s bothering her, but she’s not saying what.” 

During class, Hermione did her best to pay attention, but she could feel half the class staring at her. It wasn’t that different from the end of the previous year, once word had spread that she had a research paper published, but she hadn’t been expecting that she’d feel like the entire class was judging every move she made. The moment she’d answer a question, she swore she heard whispers in the back of the room, but Professor Vector didn’t say anything about it like she normally did. 

Hermione also thought about what happened the previous day. The first person to react had been Sally-Anne, because she didn’t need to use her wand. During her first month at Hogwarts, Hermione had nearly been hexed by Malfoy because she couldn’t get to her wand to defend herself. Finally, Rose was simply faster than all of them because her magic typically needed little more than a thought to use. 

All of this led Hermione to her conclusion: Wandless magic had to be more efficient than wanded magic. If that was the case, how come everyone used wands? Why not go wandless? Was it simply a tradition, and no one wanted to stray from the path? Was it Ministry propaganda, intended to prevent them from breaking the underage magic law? Hermione had read that the Ministry had something called the Trace on every underage witch and wizard, and it wasn’t removed until their seventeenth birthday. She only had three more years, but she wouldn’t mind getting to practice over the summer. 

Hermione planned to talk to Professor Vector once class ended, but once the professor ended her lecture, Cedric caught Hermione’s attention. 

“Hermione, we’ve got a study group that meets on Saturdays,” Cedric said. “You should join us. It might help take your mind off of everything.” 

“What?” Hermione asked. 

“You looked uncomfortable with something during class, so I thought something must be bothering you,” Cedric said, smiling. 

Hermione smiled back. It was nice knowing that people cared about her. Rose was nice, but her unique brand of “You made my friend cry, so now you must die” style of caring got a little stressful. Cedric knew how make Hermione feel like someone cared about her, but without making a big scene. 

“I’d love to,” Hermione said. “Thanks, Cedric.” 

“Brilliant,” Cedric said. “One o’clock, right after lunch, in the library. I’ll see you Friday.” 

“See you,” Hermione said, waving as Cedric left. 

_At least someone’s still normal_ , Hermione thought. 

She didn’t want to admit it, but Rose was starting to scare her. Hermione could handle the over the top antics, but the quiet brooding was abnormal for the crimson-haired girl. 

“Hermione, he’s gone,” Professor Vector said. “You can put your hand down.” 

Hermione jumped, turning red as she realized that while she was thinking, she had kept waving. 

“I… um…” 

_Think, Hermione! Think!_

“Question!” Hermione shouted. “I’ve got a question that might seem a little odd.” 

“There are no odd questions, just unexpected ones,” Professor Vector replied. 

“That sounds like something out of a fortune cookie,” Hermione replied. 

“It is. How can I help you, Hermione?” 

“The incident yesterday got me thinking about our wands. Why is it necessary to use them? It seems like it’d be more efficient to not use them, since they can be destroyed or lost.” 

“It isn’t necessary, it’s just highly encouraged. You’ve got Arithmancy to thank for it. When magic is concentrated through a conduit, such as a wand, it makes the equations cleaner. Take _lumos_ for example; it’s a basic, three-dimensional polar equation when focused on the tip of a wand. It’s not possible to optimize it any further, and– Have I mentioned optimization?” 

“Only briefly, but I’ve read about it,” Hermione replied. “Arithmantic optimization is the reduction of an equation down to only its necessary components, thus reducing the wand movements and incantation length.” 

“Correct,” Professor Vector said. “As I was saying, if you remove the wand from the equation, it becomes far more complicated. I’m not sure I’ve ever encountered a spell that could be optimized by removing the wand. Further, there are many variables that become conditional, because now the _person_ is the conduit instead of the wand. Thus, you’d have to run most of the computations on the spot, and on top of that, you’d need to factor in your own body.” 

“It can’t be that bad,” Hermione said. 

“Before I show you just how horrible it is,” Professor Vector said. “Why don’t you tell me why you want to know?” 

“Like I said, it was about the incident yesterday,” Hermione said. “It reminded me of my first month here, when Rose and I became friends. I was backed into a dead end by Malfoy, and I was terrified. I dealt with bullies back home; I guess it comes with being different, but I was so scared that he was going to hurt me, and no one was around to stop him.” 

“He shouldn’t be allowed to get away with something like that,” Professor Vector said. 

“He doesn’t anymore, at least not with me,” Hermione said. “I remember thinking at the time, I just needed a second so I could get to my wand and at least make it a fair fight. With what happened yesterday, I was lucky that I saw it coming, but I won’t always be able to do that.” 

“So you want to learn wandless magic to remove the burden of your wand?” Professor Vector asked. 

“Yes,” Hermione said. “I don’t want to be helpless anymore.” 

“Hermione, contrary to what Ms. Peta-Lorrum might have told you, you don’t always need to fight. Sometimes it’s simply best to let others handle it for you.” 

“But one way or another, I always find myself in trouble,” Hermione explained. “I used to think that if I were a good girl, and always followed the rules, that everything would work out just fine. Now, the people that make the rules sent demons to catch a serial killer, after removing the man that was going to protect us last year. Following the rules isn’t enough anymore.” 

“Very well,” she said, turning to the chalkboard. “But I don’t want to hear about you hurting anyone.” 

Professor Vector wrote a simple equation on the blackboard. 

“That’s the equation for _lumos_ ,” Hermione said. 

“ _With_ a wand,” Professor Vector said. “Light focused in a sustained burst at the end of a simple conduit designed to be Arithmantically efficient. Now, we have the unimaginable chaos of frustration that is the human body.” 

Hermione frowned. 

“I’m not sure that makes sense.” 

“It doesn’t,” Professor Vector replied, sighing. “It really doesn’t.” 

As Hermione watched, Professor Vector wrote another simple equation on the board. 

“Is it really that bad?” Hermione asked as her teacher finished writing. “It looks like basic multiplication of terms.” 

“Both of those terms are matrices,” Professor Vector explained. “The left one is a special matrix that in essence represents the conduit used for magic. When a wand is made, runes are traced into the body of it to normalize the effect it has on the equations. In this case, it cancels a lot of the second matrix to create the simple polar equation we’ve got written above.” 

“But the human body isn’t Arithmantically designed,” Hermione said. 

“Unfortunately not. This is how the matrices appear when a body is used as the conduit.” 

Before the chalk could touch the blackboard, Hermione heard a voice in her head. 

<Hermione? Eom.>

“Ah!” Hermione yelped. 

Professor Vector frowned and looked to her student. “Is everything alright?” 

“Yeah, Rose just–” 

<Defence the Third wants to know where you are. Eom.>

“Defence the Third?” Hermione mouthed. 

“That seashell of yours?” Professor Vector asked. 

“Yeah… OH MY GOD!” 

Hermione scrambled to gather her belongings. 

“I’m late!” Hermione exclaimed. “I’ve never been late in my life! I’m going to be late, and–” 

“Hall pass,” Professor Vector said nonchalantly, handing her a small slab of wood. “It will vanish once you reach your destination, so don’t worry about returning it.” 

Hermione held up the piece of wood. It was a dark brown slab, about the size of a charge card, with golden letters emblazoned on it: 

_Hogwarts Hall Pass, Courtesy of Septima Vector_

In the bottom left corner, the words _Given to Hermione Granger_ appeared. Opposite them, in the bottom right, was Professor Vector’s signature. 

After staring at it for another few seconds, Hermione shoved the last of her books inside her pack and raced off down the corridor. 

* * *

“Ms. Granger, so nice of you to join us,” Professor Lupin said as Hermione raced into the classroom. 

“Hall pass,” Hermione panted, handing him the wooden slab. “I’m so sorry.” 

“I’m sure it won’t happen again,” Professor Lupin said. “Please take your seat. Your friends can fill you in on what you missed while I continue.” 

“What did I miss?” Hermione whispered to Ron when she sat down. 

“Well, he introduced himself, then… er…” 

“You weren’t paying attention, were you?” Hermione asked. 

“I was!” Ron stage-whispered. 

Hermione rolled her eyes, then leaned to Rose, who was on her other side. 

“Rose, what did I miss?” 

“Stuff.” 

“Thanks,” Hermione replied bitterly. 

She began to scribble down notes as Professor Lupin wrapped up his overview of the curriculum. 

“As a special treat, the last class before the winter holiday will be spent on a topic outside of the curriculum that I suspect is on everyone’s minds,” he said. “No one pays any attention during that class anyway, so we might as well have some fun with it.” 

“So how do you think _this_ one’s going to try to kill us?” Ron whispered to Harry, who was sitting on the other side of him. 

“I don’t think Lockhart ever _tried_ to kill us,” Harry whispered. 

“Nah, he was just subtle about it. Fred and George said it’s almost like it’s part of the class. You have to figure out how the professor’s gonna screw up. Actually, I think they’re taking bets on how this one’s gonna get sacked.” 

“I like him,” Harry said. “I think he did alright on the train, he hasn’t stammered once, and he really knows what he’s talking about.” 

“Come on, what do you think?” Ron asked. 

“I think you should stop talking and pay attention,” Hermione hissed. 

Ron opened his mouth to argue. 

“Mr. Weasley, have you got something to add?” Professor Lupin asked. “Professor McGonagall tells me you’re quite the genius.” 

“No,” Ron said. “Nothing to add.” 

Professor Lupin seemed like a competent teacher, although this served to make Rose suspicious of their new professor, so after class, she approached him. 

“Ms. Peta-Lorrum, how may I–” 

“Defence the First and Defence the Second both tried to kill me,” Rose said. “I’m sure you’re plotting to do the same, so I’ll save you some time: Don’t. If you cross me, you won’t live to regret it. I’m out of patience for stupid people, and I haven’t decided if I’m going to let High Emperor _Gau Halak_ live yet.” 

“I understand,” Professor Lupin said. “Quirrell and Lockhart weren’t qualified for this post, but I’m going to work hard to prove to you that I am.” 

“And how are you going to do that?” 

“For a start, I won’t lecture you about the Dementors. I can’t encourage you to attack them, but I’m not going to tell you to leave them alone, either.” 

Rose narrowed her eyes at the professor. 

“Thank you,” she said. “I still don’t trust you.” 

“I wouldn’t expect you to, given what’s happened these past few days.” He nodded towards the door. “Your friends are waiting for you.” 

Rose nodded, then started off towards the door. 

“He wasn’t always like that.” 

Rose turned around. 

“Who?” 

“Professor Snape,” Professor Lupin elaborated. “He used to be nicer. I know; I was friends with his best friend once upon a time.” 

“What was his name?” 

“ _Her_ name was Lily.” 

Rose nodded, then left the room, writing the name down in her notebook. 

* * *

Dan and Emma were always concerned when they heard knocking on their door after dark, and their concern only grew when they saw who was at their door. 

“Mum, Dad, we’ve got a problem,” Hermione said when her parents opened the door. 

“What happened?” her father asked as they girls walked inside the house. 

“Remember how the Ministry of Incompetence was going to send people to help find Sirius Black?” Rose asked. “Well, they sent monsters that literally suck the happiness out of the air around them.” 

“You’re kidding,” Emma said flatly. 

“She’s not,” Hermione replied in an identical tone of voice. 

“It gets better,” Rose said, a snarky smile on her face. “They patrol the prison from which Sirius Black escaped.” 

“So the Ministry thinks that because they did such a great job stopping him from escaping a high security prison, that more will certainly be able to find him?” Dan asked. 

“That about sums it up,” Hermione said. “They even got a head start this year on making our lives miserable.” 

“What’s that mean?” Emma asked. 

“One searched the train for him,” Rose said irritably. “Couldn’t even wait for us to get to Hogwarts.” 

“We found out later that it hardly stopped on its way to the back of the train,” Hermione said, “where _we_ were sitting.” 

“What?” Dan asked. “Are you girls okay?” 

“We’re fine now,” Hermione said. 

“Dementors exist by feeding off of happy memories,” Rose explained. “They hunt by incapacitating their prey by dragging up horrible memories, causing the victim to give up out of despair. It sensed the concentration of bad memories in our group, and went straight for us.” 

“So the Ministry can’t actually control them,” Dan confirmed. 

“Not in the slightest,” Rose said. 

“Rose, we don’t know that,” Hermione said. “They go where the Ministry tells them to, so they must know some way of controlling them.” 

“And Dumbledore let this happen?” Emma asked. 

“To his credit, he got them to stay out of the castle,” Rose said. 

“What?!” the other three exclaimed. 

“They were going to be _inside_ the castle?!” Hermione shrieked. 

“The Ministry was going to allow that?!” Dan shouted. 

“He promised me that they’ll leave us alone if we leave them alone,” Rose said. “That’s the best I’ve got.” 

“Before everything gets too out of hand, I think we should all sit down,” Emma said calmly. “Girls, thank you for telling us this.” 

“I didn’t want to keep it from you,” Hermione said as the four of them sat down at the kitchen table. “I was afraid that you’d make me come home, but I thought if I just told you, then you’d understand.” 

“Rose, how fast can you find Sirius Black?” Dan asked the little girl. 

Rose shook her head. “I can only find him if I’ve got something he owned, or if I’ve already met him. Otherwise, _discern location_ won’t work.” 

“Is there something else you can use?” Hermione asked. 

“No,” Rose said, shaking her head again. “There’s nothing better than _discern location_ for finding people.” 

“Is there anything else you can do?” Emma asked, hoping that there was some other trick Rose had. 

“I can start destroying the Dementors, but Dumbledore seems to think that’ll make things worse.” 

“What about Hermione?” Dan asked. “I’m sure you and your friends had a hard time on the Express, so what about protecting her?” 

“It wasn’t that bad,” Hermione said. “Luna and Harry were worse.” 

Dan and Emma exchanged glances. 

“Luna’s the little girl that Rose looks after like a little sister, since her mum died,” Hermione explained. “Which she had to relive when the Dementor found us on the train.” 

Emma gasped. 

“I can put _mind blank_ on Hermione,” Rose said. “It protects me from them, so it should work for her too.” 

“No.” 

All three of them turned to look at Hermione. 

“I want to figure this out for myself,” Hermione said. “I don’t want–” 

“If you’re not going to let Rose protect you, then–” Dan started. 

“I don’t want Rose protecting me!” Hermione shouted. “I’m already helpless, and I don’t want people reminding me of that!” 

“You don’t need to fight back,” Emma told her daughter. “It’s alright to let other people help you.” 

“Everyone keeps saying that, but you’re wrong!” Hermione looked to Rose for help, but Rose had already left the room. “I… I can’t just avoid trouble! It’s going to find me whether I like it or not, so I’ve got to learn to take care of myself!” 

“We’re not going to send you back there if we can’t be sure you’ll be safe!” Dan shot back. 

“Dementors don’t actually hurt people,” Hermione argued. “They make them feel awful, but that’s it! It’s not like the Basilisk that could kill me at any second!” 

“There’s still a murderer on the loose,” her mum said. 

“But we’re not talking about him, we’re talking about the Dementors,” Hermione said. “If we get proof that he’s on the grounds, then I’ll talk about it then. Right now, I don’t want Rose enchanting me with anything else.” 

Neither Dan nor Emma wanted to give into their daughter’s demands, but the defiant look on Hermione’s face told them everything they needed to know. They had two choices: Listen to their daughter and allow her to go about Hogwarts unprotected, or force her to transfer for her own safety. 

“I’ve got a solution,” Rose said. 

She’d returned to the room with Ana by her side. 

“I’ll toughen up Hermione, just like I did with Sally-Anne. She’ll be able to defend herself, so you two won’t need to worry, and Hermione, you can stop relying on me. Everyone wins. No need to come back here.” 

Dan and Emma exchanged glances. 

“You won’t hurt her?” Dan asked. 

“You’ve got to trust me,” Rose said. “She’ll be hurt, but just think of it as revenge for when she annoyed you as a kid.” 

“That’s an awful way to think about it!” Emma exclaimed. 

“I’d rather not think about it at all,” Dan said. 

“Then don’t,” Rose said. 

“Don’t I get a say?” Hermione asked. 

“You do,” Rose said. “Either this, or get transferred to the other school that’s name I don’t remember.” 

“Rose, _I_ remember random facts from when I was a kid,” Hermione said. “How do you not remember?” 

“Not important,” Rose said. “Have we got a deal?” 

The Grangers exchanged glances with one another. 

Neither Dan nor Emma liked the idea of Hermione being hurt. Dan wanted his little girl to remain safe from the world, but Hogwarts had destroyed that hope. Now he didn’t have a choice in the matter. If he wanted her to forgive him before she moved out, Rose was his only viable option. 

“I’d rather just send her to Beauxbatons where she’ll be safe,” Dan said. “Rose, thank you for the offer, but–” 

“I can’t just run away!” Hermione exclaimed. 

“Let’s all calm down,” Emma said. “Rose, can you promise Hermione will be safe?” 

“I can,” Rose said. 

“This isn’t something only Rose can do,” Hermione said. “Alex can keep an eye out, and the Dementors can’t hurt us if we don’t go outside much.” 

Dan and Emma exchanged glances again. Emma knew Hermione would need to learn to stand up for herself. It wasn’t what she wanted for their daughter, but it was the only way they could all be happy. Besides, Rose was always on standby, and Hermione was right in that Alex and the other teachers could keep them safe. 

“As soon as anything new comes up, you are to inform us immediately,” Emma said, looking at Dan. “We reserve the right to remove you from Hogwarts at any time.” 

“Alright,” Hermione said. 

After bidding her parents good night, Hermione walked with Rose to the front door. 

“One thing,” Hermione said, triggering her earpods to keep her conversation private. “Leave my ring alone. I don’t want you enchanting it without me.” 

“Why?” 

“It’s my decision, that’s why. If you don’t fight me on it, I won’t fight you on enchanting my hair clip again.” 

Rose looked at her for a moment, but Hermione couldn’t tell what was on the girl’s mind. 

“You’ll have to pick something,” Rose said. “Sally-Anne wanted to learn to use her Shield Rune, so you’ve got to pick something yourself.” 

“Wandless casting,” Hermione said. 

“It’s a start, but you’ll need something more specialized later. Even I focus my combat abilities almost entirely around _Crimson Thorn_.” 

Hermione nodded. 

“Thank you, Rose.” 

Rose smiled, then drew her _staff of passage._

“Things are bad enough without you leaving, Hermione.” 

Hermione took a hold of the staff in her friend’s hands. Together, the girls returned to Hogwarts. 


	7. Your Worst Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which someone must face her worst nightmare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** J.K. Rowling owns the boggart, but I own the dragon.

A few weeks went by, and Hermione began to learn more about the equations necessary for wandless casting. As Professor Vector had warned her, they were complicated, and even with her hair clip, she couldn’t do the calculations in her head on the spot. She could do them in her head, which surprised even Professor Vector, but it took her a few seconds. Her attempts at running them became easier after her fourteenth birthday, during which Rose increased the bonus on her hair clip once more. 

“After that, it’s going to jump to _divine enlightenment_ ,” Rose said. “I’ll wait until next year to do that.” 

“Thanks,” Hermione said. “Really, I appreciate it this year.” 

It was Sunday, and the girls were in the Room of Requirement. 

“Show me what you’ve got,” Rose instructed Hermione. 

Hermione nodded, then closed her eyes. She had the equations for _lumos_ memorized, even the generic one. She ran through them, calculating it not for a general use, but for _her_ specifically. Hermione had learned a week ago that it was possible to further optimize spells for a single person. Doing so made the wandless version of a spell _more_ efficient, since it was optimized for a specific conduit. In this case, it was Hermione herself. 

“ _Lumana!_ ” 

She flicked her hand, and it lit up, casting light around the room. 

“Alright, so you can use a cantrip,” Rose said. 

“What’s a cantrip?” 

“A zeroth-level spell,” Rose said. “Sk’lar can almost literally do that in his sleep, and as many times per day as he wants.” 

“Well, excuse me for not being your brother,” Hermione shot back. “He’s been doing this for how long? Ten, twenty years?” 

“He’s one hundred and ten.” 

Hermione blinked, and the light flickered out. “What?” 

“An Elf lives for around 900 years,” Rose said. “He’s not that old, actually.” 

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Hermione said. “Still, it’s all I’ve got right now. I’m still working on it.” 

“You’re fine,” Rose said. “You’ve got utility, Hermione. Never doubt the power of having a bag of tricks at your disposal. Sally-Anne’s got her rune, which is great for defence, but she’s got problems attacking with it. Ron’s good at pulling everything to him, but that’s only going to help him so much. Harry’s going to be a great sniper, Ginny’s good with fire, and I think Neville can be a great Fighter, but everyone’s going to encounter a situation for which they’ve got nothing prepared. But _you_ can craft a new spell on the spot.” 

Rose smiled and poked Hermione in the forehead. 

“Just keep using that brain of yours, Brain.” 

Hermione smiled back. “Thanks, Rose. Thanks for looking out for me.” 

“Pretty soon, you won’t need me to,” Rose said. “I’m looking forward to fighting side by side with you. _That_ will be a good day. Before then, you’ll want to do something about your hair.” 

“What’s wrong with my hair?” Hermione asked, despite knowing the answer. 

“It’s too long and unmanageable, and it’s going to get in your way,” Rose replied. “I’ve got control over my cloak, but your hair is actually attached. It’d be easy for me to grab it during combat.” 

“You’ve got no idea,” Hermione said. “I want to try using magic on it, but I’m not sure that I can.” 

“Why not?” 

“Well, I can, but I can’t maintain it over the summer, unless I can do it wandlessly.” 

“Well, it’s good that you’re learning,” Rose said. “Keep it up. Come on, I’ll take us back to Gryffindor Tower.” 

“Already?” Hermione asked. 

“If all you can do is make your hand light up, then you’ve got more to learn before we can continue,” Rose said. 

“I’m working on it,” Hermione said. “Professor Vector says there are equations like the one for _lumos_ , but for the different types of spells. I think that means charms, curses, and hexes.” 

Rose tilted her head. “That makes no sense. Why not break it into categories that actually have to do with what you’re trying to do? Like Evocation, Transmutation, and Conjuration?” 

“I don’t know,” Hermione said. “Nothing in the Magical World makes sense. Even that name; Most people say ‘Wizarding World’.” 

“You should try learning magic back home,” Rose said. “Elves have always told me that I can’t be an Artificer because I’m Human. _Dwarves_ have told me that I’m the best Artificer De’rok has ever seen.” 

Hermione laughed. “Is that why you talk like them?” 

“I was five, and they sounded funny. It started as a joke, but I just loved doing it so much, I stuck with it. Same reason I say ‘salutations’.” 

“What Dwarf said that?” Hermione asked. 

“None of them did,” Rose replied. “Alice said it, I imitated her, and it was fun to say.” 

Hermione’s laughter and smile faded. 

“What’s happened to you, Rose?” 

“What do you mean?” 

“I mean this is the first time in weeks you’ve acted like _you_.” 

“I don’t know what you mean.” 

“Yes, you do!” Hermione said exasperatedly. “You’ve hardly spoken to any of us, you snap at anyone who pries, and you were willing to let Buckbeak kill Malfoy!” 

“Well–” 

“And I don’t care if he deserved it!” Hermione snapped, pointing her finger menacingly at Rose. “ _You_ would’ve still helped him, if not for whatever’s been bothering you! The Dementors _can’t_ affect you, so what else could _possibly_ be bothering you?!” 

“There’s something bothering me, but I don’t want to talk about it,” Rose admitted after some hesitation. “I can handle it on my own. When Alice left after I graduated from Arcrel, I took care of myself. I made my own way, and even when the worst creature you could imagine hurt me, I killed it by myself. That Abomination is dead because of _me_. Not Alice, not Shadow, not Sk’lar, _me_.” Rose emphasised her last word by pointing at herself. “So I would appreciate your concern, Hermione, but it’s annoying. Stop asking about it, because I don’t want to tell you.” 

For a few minutes, both girls glared at one another. Hermione stood over Rose, having grown over the summer, whereas Rose remained the same size as she had been when Hermione first met her. Hermione didn’t want to believe that this was the same girl that had saved her life so many times, but something was certainly different about her. 

“Whatever you’ve got to do to deal with this, do it,” Hermione said. “I just want my friend back.” 

Rose flashed her a weak smile. 

“It’ll be fine,” Rose said. “Let’s head back.” 

Hermione took Rose’s hand, and the girls reappeared back in the common room. 

* * *

“Good morning, class,” Professor Lupin greeted them Tuesday morning. “Today’s lesson will be about a creature called a Boggart. Can anyone tell me–” 

Hermione’s hand shot up, followed quickly by Ron’s. 

“Too slow, Mr. Weasley, Ms. Granger’s hand was up first,” the Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor said. “Ms. Granger?” 

“A Boggart is a shapeshifter that takes the form of a person’s worst fear.” 

“Well done,” he said. “Five points to Gryffindor. Mr. Weasley, can you tell us how a Boggart knows a person’s worst fear?” 

“Similar to Legilimency, a Boggart is capable of reading a person’s surface thoughts, but _unlike_ Legilimency, Occlumency has proven ineffective against a Boggart.” 

“Very good,” Professor Lupin said as his students exchanged a quick high five. “Another five points. Now, in order to combat a Boggart, one uses the spell _Riddikulus_. Everyone try saying it once.” 

There was a chorus of _Riddikulus_ from his class. 

“The way to combat a Boggart is to use the _Riddikulus_ charm to turn it into something amusing, or _ridiculous_.” 

There were a few snickers from the class. 

“Now I want everyone to close their eyes and imagine their worst fear.” 

Remus watched as his class all closed their eyes. He had met with Albus before this particular lesson to discuss a few of the students. Remus had been informed that he was _not_ allowed to let Harry or any of his friends approach the Boggart. In fact, there was a list from least dangerous to most dangerous. 

At the bottom of this list was Neville Longbottom, as he was more afraid of Severus than anything else. Above him was Ron Weasley, who was deathly afraid of spiders, which wasn’t that bad. Those two were deemed acceptable to allow to face the boggart. 

After Ron was Hermione Granger, although there was an asterisk next to her name. Albus had a few theories behind her worst fear, but only one of them was dangerous, that being a mountain troll. The worst case scenario with that one, Rose jumped in and cut the thing to pieces as she did with the real thing. 

After her was Sally-Anne Perks, whose worst fear was reportedly the Basilisk, and if the boggart took its form, then half the class would be rendered unconscious or petrified. Harry himself was after Sally-Anne, because his worst fear would be Voldemort, although Albus insisted that the Dementors had left a greater impact on the boy than He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. 

Finally, at the very top of the list, was Rose Peta-Lorrum. Albus didn’t have the faintest idea what her worst fear was, and while he claimed to want to know what it was, both men had agreed that it wasn’t worth risking the students just to find out. After all, this was the girl that faced a Basilisk without blinking an eye, ran into fight He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named without hesitating, and had to be calmed down so she wouldn’t go out and start destroying Dementors. Whatever actually scared the girl, they didn’t want a boggart taking its form. 

“After you’ve got it in your head, I want you to imagine it turning into something that makes you laugh,” Remus instructed. 

There were several giggles from around the room as everyone began to imagine their worst fears turning into something funny. 

“When you’re ready, open your eyes so I know,” Remus said. 

He looked out and saw students opening their eyes, and waiting attentively. The only exception to any of this was Rose Peta-Lorrum, who hadn’t closed her eyes. Remus figured that she either knew she wasn’t going to be participating, or didn’t care. 

“Alright, it looks like everyone’s ready.” Remus smiled. “Let’s begin!” 

* * *

Rose felt a searing pain shoot through her body, originating from her right leg. Her eyes snapped open, and she realized that she was no longer in her workshop, but instead inside a dark, dank cavern. The perfectly spherical cave was dimly lit by torches that lined the walls. 

More pain shot through her body, this time coming from her left leg. Looking down, she saw both of her legs were bent in the wrong direction. As her eyes adjusted, she looked up and saw the major feature of the room that was so obvious that she’d missed it the first time. 

A black dragon towered over her. Torchlight reflected off the sleek black scales that lined its body. Powerful wings were folded against its sides, and it held its tail curled up behind it. At the end of its long neck sat its gnarled head. Two horns jutted out alongside its maw, upon which a sneer formed as it realized she was awake. 

“Oh good, you’re awake,” it crowed. “I do so enjoy hearing the screams of my victims. I’m almost disappointed, though. I don’t think you’ll be as entertaining as the Elf and Human that came to rescue you were.” 

“What?” Rose asked wearily. 

“I didn’t realize Episti allowed headmasters to be so young, but that ring was proof enough,” it continued. “I’m not sure which I like more: my new vest, or that foldable ax his companion had.” 

Rose’s eyes widened with fear. 

“You’re lying!” she shouted. 

“Am I?” 

The dragon reached behind it and produced two objects. Holding them up, Rose’s worst fears were confirmed. In the dragon’s claw were the heads of Alice and Sk’lar. 

“No,” Rose whimpered, tears rolling down her cheeks. “No!” 

The dragon grabbed her and slammed her into the wall. 

Rose started to slip out of its grasp, but the dragon quickly grabbed Reflectesalon and tore him off her. 

“No!” Rose cried again. 

“You need to learn to behave yourself,” the dragon scolded. “This should teach you. Besides, after I’m through with you, you won’t need any mementos of the Humans you call your parents. You won’t need your ‘brother’ or ‘sister’, because you’ll have a new family.” 

Rose panicked. Reflectesalon was all she had left of her mum. She had already lost Alice and Sk’lar, and that meant that she might never see her parents again. If she lost Reflectesalon… 

No. Rose wasn’t about to let that happen, so she did the only thing she could think to do. 

“ _Red like Roses!_ ” 

A flash of red light lit up the cavern, and Rose’s equipment began to fly into her picnic basket. One by one, each of her magic items were stored safely away into the basket, leaving Rose wearing a black leotard that she kept under her dress at all times. 

The last to enter was Reflectesalon, after which the basket returned to its position on her bracelet, sealed until she unlocked it. 

They were safe; all of her keepsakes and treasures were safe from whatever this thing was. No matter what happened now, the abomination before her couldn’t hurt them. 

Rose smirked, but her smile faded as one appeared on the dragon’s face. 

“Perfect,” it crowed, its pale yellow eyes glistening in the torchlight. “Now the real fun can begin.” 

It grabbed her bracelet, tearing through her hand in the process, then threw the bracelet across the room. 

Rose screamed as the dragon took Rose and slammed her into the ground. 

* * *

There were many traditions at Hogwarts. Gryffindor and Slytherin playing each other in the first Quidditch match of the year and Potter being nearly killed during that match, the Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor being evil in some way, and a monster finding its way into the school were all some of these traditions. 

Another tradition was that of Rose Peta-Lorrum having a breakdown of some sort in the middle of class. The past two years had seen this happen during Transfiguration, although that year she switched it up and had it during Defence. Another difference between the current year and the past two years was the explanation. Previously, it had happened at random; that year, it was obvious what set her off. 

Most of the students handled the boggart with little issues, as it didn’t do good impersonations of their worst fears. For some, their worst fears were minor. After all, they were only children, and what did children have to fear? 

For Rose Peta-Lorrum, it was a black dragon. 

The beast was curled up around the wardrobe, what looked like a sneer on its face. This wasn’t a type of dragon anyone had seen before; there was intelligence in this one’s eyes, something that didn’t exist in other dragons. It even appeared to be talking to Rose, although all noise was cut out after she started screaming. 

Remus hadn’t reached Ron Weasley in time to stop him from approaching the boggart, but after it turned into a simple acromantula, he had no worries that everything would be fine. He was so relieved that he hadn’t noticed that Rose Peta-Lorrum was directly behind Ron, and he hadn’t got to _her_ in time either. 

He had nearly thrown himself in front of the boggart when a large object had caught him out of nowhere. The Defence Professor was hurled across the room, and now sat slumped in the corner, unconscious. 

<Sk’lar! Shadow! Ali!>

Hermione winced as she heard the girl calling out for help in her head. That had never happened before. Every time Rose sent a message to Hermione, it was directed at Hermione. Hermione knew that in order to send a message to someone on the network, one had to focus on the intended recipient. That meant that this dragon scared Rose so much that she couldn’t concentrate. 

No one knew what to do; Hermione and Ron both knew the best way to combat a boggart was to confuse it by exposing it to two people at once, but no one dared go near that thing. 

Students began to run towards the door, but they caught the dragon’s attention. It made a growling noise, and locusts appeared at the entrance to the defence room, stopping students from escaping. 

Turning towards the students now amassing at the door, the dragon spat a bolt of some green substance from its mouth. The bolt streaked through the air, straight towards the students. 

Above all the screaming and chaos, Hermione heard a metallic voice in her head. Despite it being a new voice, Hermione had an idea of to whom it belonged. 

<Help her.>

The second the dragon spat what Hermione could only assume was acid, she had a moment of clarity. She wasn’t sure if it was some sort of side effect from hearing Rose scream in her head, but she understood what was about to happen. 

The dragon had fired a blast of acid at the students. Dragons didn’t spit acid, they breathed fire, which probably meant that it was truly following the rules of Rose’s world. That acid wasn’t as potent as it would’ve been had this been the real dragon that murdered Rose, but it would still be dangerous to touch. 

That meant it would injure or _kill_ the students, and Rose was in no state to bring them back. If students were in danger, then there was one person who was sure to put herself right between them and the danger. 

“ _Strada!_ ” 

A large, shimmering disc appeared between the students and the dragon. Directly behind the disc was Sally-Anne, ready to put herself in harm’s way to help others. 

Hermione looked at the bolt of acid, then at her friend. 

The bolt of acid struck the shield, but instead of being absorbed by it as Sally-Anne would’ve expected, it shattered her barrier. Sally-Anne had only a few seconds to be afraid before the acid struck her head on. 

She felt herself knocked to the ground, the bolt of acid missing her and striking someone else instead. 

Hermione screamed as the acid burned through her. 

“Hermione!” Harry and Ron gasped. Both boys rushed to her side as the dragon reared up again. 

Harry, Ron, and Sally-Anne looked up at the dragon. There was nothing they could do this time; no Hermione to come up with a plan; no Rose to save them. 

Harry saw Rose slowly turn to see her best friend lying on the ground, writhing in pain. Rose stared at them for a moment, then her fear was slowly replaced by hatred. 

_Serendipity_ appeared in Rose’s hand, and she stood to face her worst nightmare. 

“ _Grahk d’ka_ ,” the girl hissed. 

Glowing, red cracks appeared in the dragon’s skin. They crept along its stomach, then covered its wings and limbs. The second they covered its head, the dragon exploded, turning to dust with a deafening bang. 

Time stood still as everyone stared at the empty wardrobe, not sure what to do next. Save for Hermione’s whimpering, no one made a sound. The swarm of locusts faded from the entrance, just as two people arrived in the classroom. 

“Move!” 

Harry and Ron were shoved aside by Madame Pomfrey as she ran over to Hermione. The Mediwitch was followed closely by Professor Dumbledore, who walked past them and straight over to Rose. 

“Rose,” Albus said, joining the girl at her side. 

Rose’s head snapped around to face him. At first, she looked confused, her face slowly took on a look of anger and betrayal. 

“ _Doublespeak_ ,” she hissed. 

“Rose, I’m–” 

“I used to think you were like my uncle,” she said. “You were kind, and you were wise. I respected you because of it, but I see now that I was wrong. I was wrong about who you were, and I was wrong to respect you.” 

Before Albus could say anything else, Rose vanished, leaving rose petals in her wake. 

“It’s alright,” Poppy said, attempting to comfort her new patient. “I’m going to get you to the Hospital Wing, and we’ll fix those burns.” 

“We’re coming with you,” Harry said. 

“Do as you will, but don’t get in my way.” 

Poppy picked up the girl, then addressed one of the portraits on her way out of the room. 

“Get Septima and Minerva to the Hospital Wing! _Now!_ ” 

With Harry, Ron, and Sally-Anne behind her, Madame Pomfrey bolted off to the Hospital Wing. 

Albus looked around at the classroom. What few students were left were cowering in fear, one student was bruised from being shoved to the ground, another student was being rushed to the Hospital Wing with burns all over her, and the last of that trio of young women was now AWOL. 

“Needless to say, class is dismissed,” Albus said, walking over to where his Defence Professor was lying. 

“Remus,” he said. “Are you alright?” 

“What happened?” Remus asked, climbing to his feet. He looked around at the chaos that had ensued. 

“Albus, I’m so sorry,” Remus said. 

“You’re skipping lunch,” Albus replied. “Come with me.” 

Without waiting for his friend, Albus walked briskly out of the classroom. 

* * *

Ginny knew it was a bad day when she didn’t see most of her friends at lunch. What was worse was that her entire table was whispering about something, but no one would tell her what it was. 

“Luna,” Ginny said, running over to where her friend was sitting at the Ravenclaw table, “what’s going on?” 

“I don’t know,” Luna replied. “I believe something is amiss, but no one will tell me what it is.” 

“Me either,” Ginny said. “Do you still have Intelligencer?” 

“Yes,” Luna replied. “He’s not talking, though. I think he might have an infection of some sort.” 

“Why?” 

“There you two are!” Neville exclaimed, rushing up to the girls. “Come on!” 

“What?” Ginny asked. “Neville, what’s happening?” 

“Hermione’s in the Hospital Wing,” Neville replied. “I’ll explain–” 

“What?!” Ginny shrieked. 

“I’ll explain on the way,” Neville said. “Now come on! We’ve got to hurry!” 

Both girls jumped out of their seats and followed Neville out of the Dining Hall and towards the Hospital Wing. 

“What’s this all about?” Ginny asked. 

“During Defence Against the Dark Arts, we had the lesson on boggarts,” Neville explained. “They turn into a person’s worst fear.” 

“So?” Ginny asked. 

“Rose faced it, and–” 

“Nothing happened, because _mind blank_ stops it from getting inside her head,” Luna said, a defiant look on her face. 

“Wrong,” Neville replied. “It turned into this dragon, and–” 

“What color was it?” Luna asked, fear creeping over her. 

“Black, but that’s–” 

“The Abomination,” Luna whispered. 

“You know what that thing was?” Neville asked. “It had Rose scared to death. She’s not afraid of anything, and… and I didn’t even want to know what that thing was. It must be awful to scare her that much.” 

Luna didn’t speak another word, but hugged Intelligencer tightly. 

“What happened to Hermione?” Ginny asked. 

“Sally-Anne tried to stop it from attacking the others, but it broke through her shield.” 

“What? How?” 

“I don’t know, but Hermione figured out it was going to happen,” Neville said. “She knocked Sally-Anne out of the way, and the dragon attacked her instead.” 

“Is there anything you _do_ know?” Ginny snapped. 

“I know that our friends need us right now, so we should run faster!” 

“Good point,” Ginny said. 

* * *

Septima raced from the seventh floor straight down to the first. She didn’t know why a portrait started raving that she should get to the Hospital Wing as quickly as possible, but she had a theory. She didn’t want it to be true, but there was no other reason why she’d be summoned by Poppy herself unless it was one student in particular that was in the Hospital Wing. 

Septima met Poppy at the Hospital Wing, and her worst fears were realized as she saw the crying student in Poppy’s arms. 

“Merlin, no!” she gasped. “Hermione! Poppy, what happened?!” 

“I’ll explain in a moment!” Poppy shouted. “Doors!” 

Septima and the Weasley boy threw open the doors and ran along beside the mediwitch. They were followed closely by Perks and Potter. 

_Where’s Peta-Lorrum when you need her?_ thought Septima. She didn’t care for Peta-Lorrum, but the girl could do different magic, which meant that magic might involve healing burns. 

Poppy ran over to one of the beds and gently laid the girl down on top of it. She looked around, then spotted what she needed on the opposite end of the Hospital Wing. 

“Septima!” Poppy barked. “That cart at the other end of the Wing! I need it!” 

“Done!” Weasley shouted, his wand already at the ready. “ _Accio cart!_ ” 

The cart wheeled itself over to them quicker than either woman could run, stopping abruptly when it reached the third-year. As it did, the various supplies on it toppled over, although Poppy took no notice. 

Without skipping a beat, Poppy pulled open one of the drawers on the cart and took out a small vial. She uncorked it and poured some cream onto her hands, then gently applied the cream to the Gryffindor girl’s burns. 

“Is that arctic cream?” Weasley asked. 

“Yes,” Poppy mumbled, more interested in the injured girl than in her curious friend. 

“Those are acid burns,” he said. “Clear lake ointment works better for–” 

“Then it’s a shame I haven’t got any in stock,” Poppy snapped. 

The cream was absorbed by her skin, the burns began to heal, and the girl’s cries turned to whimpers. 

“Arctic cream works well, even if it isn’t made for acid,” Poppy said, grabbing another vial. “She’s still hurt a lot worse than that. Septima, open her mouth.” 

“What’s that?” Perks asked. 

“Sedative,” Poppy replied, cutting off Weasley before he could say anything. She poured a few drops down the third-year’s throat. “If she wakes up, she’ll still be in pain. As Mr. Weasley pointed out, those are acid burns on her, although it’s not a type I’ve specifically seen. As Mr. Weasley _also_ pointed out, arctic cream is for generic burns, but I don’t know how well it’s going to do with those.” 

Hermione slowly settled down, then her eyes fluttered shut. 

“Hermione!” Ginny shouted as her group arrived at the Hospital Wing. “How is she?” 

“She’s alright,” Madame Pomfrey said. “She’ll recover.” 

“Now,” Septima said, rounding on the students that weren’t unconscious on a hospital bed. “What happened?” 

“Rose faced the boggart, and it turned into a dragon,” Sally-Anne said. “It attacked the students with some sort of acid, and when I tried to stop it, my shield broke.” 

“Then why is Hermione on that bed instead of you, Ms. Perks?” 

“Because Hermione shoved her out of the way,” Harry said. 

“We don’t know how, but Hermione knew what was about to happen,” Sally-Anne added. 

“Because she’s the most brilliant witch to walk the halls of this school, that’s how,” Professor Vector snapped. “Why didn’t Lupin stop the boggart?” 

“He tried, but it knocked him aside with its tail,” Harry said. “He really did try to stop it. Not like Lockhart pretending to stop it, or Quirrell just fainting.” 

“That’s brilliant,” Professor Vector said. “At least he _tried_.” 

“It wasn’t his fault!” Harry shouted. 

“And what of Peta-Lorrum?” Professor Vector asked Sally-Anne, ignoring Harry. 

“That thing had her terrified,” Sally-Anne replied. “I don’t know what it was, but–” 

“Where is she?” demanded Professor Vector. 

The students exchanged glances. 

“We don’t know,” Sally-Anne said. “She disappeared after class.” 

“Of course not,” Professor Vector said. “The one time we actually need her, and she’s nowhere to be found.” 

“Septima, if you’re going to talk to or about my students that way, I invite you to take it up with _me_ instead.” 

Everyone turned to see Professor McGonagall stroding into the Hospital Wing. 

“Poppy, how is she?” Professor McGonagall asked Madame Pomfrey. 

“She’s seen better days, but she’ll see plenty more after this one.” 

Professor McGonagall nodded and turned to the other students. 

“Are you alright?” 

Harry, Neville, Sally-Anne, and Ginny nodded. Luna continued holding tightly to Intelligencer, and Ron was staring intently at Hermione. 

_At least_ someone _asks about us_ , Harry thought. 

“Where’s Ms. Peta-Lorrum?” Professor McGonagall asked. 

“We don’t know,” Sally-Anne replied. 

“If you hear from her, notify one of us immediately.” 

“We will, Professor.” 

Professor McGonagall turned to Professor Vector. 

“Septima, please keep an eye on Ms. Granger for me. Let me know as soon as she wakes up.” 

Septima glared back at Minerva. 

“Septima, I know you’re upset, but right now, we’ve done all we can for Ms. Granger. Another student is missing, so right now, we need to concentrate on finding _her_ before she does any harm to anyone. Don’t you agree?” 

Septima hesitated for a moment, then nodded. 

“I’ll see to it that someone brings you all some lunch,” Professor McGonagall said as she turned to leave. 

“Professor?” Sally-Anne called after Professor McGonagall. 

“I’m a little busy, Ms. Perks.” 

“I just have a quick question!” 

“Make it brief.” 

Sally-Anne quickly gathered her thoughts. 

“Every time we’ve been in the Hospital Wing, no one ever gets angry in front of us, but now, you’re nearly shouting at one another.” 

“Your question?” 

“It’s the Dementors, isn’t it?” Sally-Anne asked. “They’re putting everyone on edge.” 

Professor McGonagall paused for just a moment, then replied, “You’re not wrong.” 

* * *

“And the next thing I know, Albus is standing over me, Hermione’s being rushed to the Hospital Wing, and Rose is missing.” 

After Remus finished explaining to Albus, Minerva, Severus, Pomona, and Filius about what happened just minutes ago, he turned to the Headmaster. 

“Albus, I’m sorry for what happened. I should’ve been faster, and I could’ve cost those students their lives. In light of this, I’m going to write a formal apology to Mr. and Mrs. Granger, taking full responsibility, and then hand you my resignation.” 

“Your resignation won’t be necessary, Remus,” Albus said. “As for her parents, _I_ will notify them. It will sound far better coming from me than from you.” 

“I’m going to need help with that, then,” Remus said. 

“You may want to give Septima time to cool off,” Pomona said. “She always gets anxious when the possibility of Ms. Granger leaving arises. I think you did commendably, given the circumstances, and it’s not your fault that Ms. Granger threw herself into the line of fire.” 

“Never mind whose fault it is,” Albus said. “We now have the matter of Rose Peta-Lorrum being missing. She has been unstable this year, and I don’t know what she’ll do now.” 

“Do you think she’s dangerous?” Remus asked. “She seems moody, but I figured it was just puberty hitting her.” 

“I doubt it’s possible for her to mature,” Severus grumbled. 

“It isn’t the students in danger, but rather our unwelcomed guests,” Albus said. 

“Why exactly is it a problem if she does away with the Dementors?” Pomona asked. “As ridiculous as that sounds, if anyone can, it’s her.” 

“For two reasons,” Albus said. “The least important of which is Rose herself. She doesn’t realize it, but the ability to harm Dementors is unheard of, and I think we can all agree that Rose isn’t normal.” 

“Finally you admit it,” Severus muttered. 

“If the Ministry discovers her unique abilities, I honestly don’t know what will happen to her. Despite her recent bad attitude, she’s still a student, and we’re responsible for her. I think we can all agree on that.” 

There were nods from around the room. 

“Which brings me to the other reason: Because the Ministry will still take it out on us. I don’t want the Dementors here, but unfortunately, Cornelius believes that the Dementors won’t harm anyone apart from Sirius Black. Despite this, it’s apparent that the Dementors have taken their toll on all of us.” 

“I can’t imagine Ms. Perks is the only student that’s picked up on it,” Minerva said. “If we can’t be at our best around the students during a crisis, then we don’t deserve to be here.” 

“Quite right,” Albus agreed. “Therefore, whether Cornelius likes it or not, we will be aiding in the investigation. Any information any of you have regarding Black will be welcome.” 

Albus looked straight at Remus when he said this. 

“I know you two were friends, Remus, but–” 

“So were James, Lily, and Peter,” Remus said. “I don’t know what happened to Sirius–” 

“‘What happened’?” Severus asked. “Black was _always_ like this.” 

“Now isn’t the time for this childish squabbling,” Minerva interrupted. “Peta-Lorrum can find people no matter where they are, as she has proven on more than one occasion. The sooner we find her, the sooner we find Sirius Black.” 

“Which is all the more reason to find her,” Albus said. “Talk to her friends, talk to the paintings, and talk to the house-elves. Wherever she is, however long it takes, we will find her.” 

Severus left the meeting and descended into the Dungeons. It was hard to believe that they were actually trying to find that mad little girl, rather than attempting to expel her once again. 

He walked into his office and sat down, then realized that something wasn’t right. Over the summer, Severus had memorized the exact layout of everything in his office, ensuring that he would notice when something was out of place. The purpose was to guarantee that Peta-Lorrum and her friends wouldn’t steal something from him, despite Severus knowing the chances of that were minuscule. Still, it paid to be prepared. 

Severus spun his chair around to face the intruder. 

Sitting to the right of his desk was Peta-Lorrum. Her legs were drawn against her chest, and she had her arms wrapped around her knees. On her arms rested her chin while she gazed vacantly at the floor. 

Upon realizing that she had been spotted, the girl looked up at Severus, but she didn’t grin. Instead, she just stared back at him with her blue-green eyes. 

The two quietly stared at one another for a time, then Severus turned around and began organizing his notes for his next class. 


	8. Rest and Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which everyone recovers from a recent ordeal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** After some rest, I have remembered that J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter.

Everything was black. Hermione couldn’t hear or see anything, but she could feel the fire eating through her arm and leg. She tried to move, but the fire just consumed her faster. 

How much longer did she have until it reached her heart and killed her? What if she just bled out from the wound? 

She tried to call out for help, but no sound came out of her mouth. 

“Wake up.” 

“What?” 

“Ms. Granger, wake up!” 

Hermione’s eyes snapped open and she found Madame Pomfrey standing over her. She couldn’t see farther than a few feet from her own bed, but she recognized the beds from the Hospital Wing well enough. 

As her eyes adjusted, she spotted the other occupant of the wing. She couldn’t tell who it was, but they had the bed next to her. 

“You’ve got a lot of people worried about you. How do you feel?” 

“My entire left arm hurts,” Hermione said. “My chest hurts on the left side. I’d say it’s a six on the pain scale.” She tried to move her fingers. “Ah! Eight if I try moving anything.” 

“I see you’ve done this before,” Madame Pomfrey said as she checked Hermione over. 

“Hit in the head with a football,” Hermione said as Madame Pomfrey prodded her arm. “I was at a family friend’s house, and his kids were playing in the backyard. The ball flew over to me while I was reading, and caught me in the head. Their dad’s a medical doctor, and he checked me over, told me to be as specific as possible, then asked me to rate the pain between one and ten.” 

“Do you remember what happened during class yesterday?” the Mediwitch asked her. 

“Yesterday?” she asked. 

“It’s Wednesday, Dear,” Madame Pomfrey told her. “It’s about four o’clock in the morning, but still Wednesday.” 

“I was unconscious the whole time?” Hermione asked. 

“You passed out off and on from the pain, then I gave you a small dose of a potion to keep you out,” Madame Pomfrey told her. “Can you remember what happened?” 

Hermione thought back to the previous day. 

“Rose walked up to the wardrobe, then the boggart turned into a dragon. It attacked the students, but Sally-Anne jumped in to try to stop it. I realized that her spell was designed to stop spells, not physical attacks, and that it would shatter, so I shoved her out of the way.” 

“That was rather foolish,” Madame Pomfrey said. 

“Sally-Anne already had her stay here last year,” Hermione said. “I figured I hadn’t gotten a chance to get to know you yet.” 

Hermione winced as Madame Pomfrey prodded her arm again, although that time Hermione thought might’ve been on purpose. 

“There are better ways of doing that, Ms. Granger,” Madame Pomfrey said. “Your arm seems to be healing nicely, but it’s still going to take time.” She handed Hermione a vial. “Drink this; it’ll dull the pain and help you sleep.” 

“Thank you,” Hermione said. She drank the vial, which tasted sweeter than she was expecting. 

“Get some rest,” Madame Pomfrey said as she returned to her office. “Don’t stay up too late, and _don’t_ wake up your boyfriend over there.” 

“My what?” 

Madame Pomfrey nodded to the other bed. “I’ve never seen a young man so stubbornly refuse to leave his friend’s side unless that friend was his girlfriend. His brothers were the same way.” 

“Ron?” 

“He refused to leave last night, so I let him sleep here. Unfortunately, I had to sedate _him_ to get him to sleep and stop trying to tell me how to do my job.” She sighed. With a hint of exasperation she added, “Again, not unlike his brothers.” 

“Don’t let him hear you say that. He _hates_ being compared to Bill and Charlie.” 

“I’ll keep that in mind,” she said. “As I said, get some rest.” 

Hermione laid back in her bed and stared up at the ceiling. She reached into her pocket and found the _condition conch_. 

<Rose?>

No reply. 

<Rose, where are you?>

After getting nothing for three more tries, Hermione gave up and went to sleep. 

* * *

When Hermione woke up, Madame Pomfrey was drawing the curtains in the Hospital Wing, revealing a bright, warm morning sun. 

“I knew you’d be alright.” 

Hermione turned over and saw Ron smirking at her. 

“Was there ever doubt?” Hermione asked. 

“ _I_ was never worried, but… well, you know Ginny.” 

Madame Pomfrey sneezed, although Hermione was certain she caught a word in the sneeze. 

“What did I miss in class?” 

“You would ask about that.” He paused for a moment. “We all took notes so you and Rose wouldn’t miss anything.” 

Hermione frowned. “Where’s Rose?” 

Ron shrugged. “No one knows.” 

“What about Luna?” 

“I don’t think so.” 

Hermione sat up in her bed, groaning as pain shot through her bad side. 

“Are you–” 

“Alright,” she said as the pain faded. “It just hurts a little. I’m sure I’ll be fine. You didn’t have to stay with me.” 

“Who else is gonna stop Rose from killing me?” 

Hermione forced a smile, but she couldn’t hide how she felt. She sank lower into her bed as she was consumed by sadness. 

“Hermione?” 

“Haven’t you noticed that Rose has been acting odd lately?” 

“Not really,” Ron replied. “She’s been a little angry, I guess. So what?” 

“She won’t tell me what it is,” Hermione said. “I thought… I thought she was finally starting to tell me everything. Now she’s shutting me out, and I don’t know why.” 

Ron’s blank stare told her she was wasting her time. 

“Thanks for staying with me, Ron,” Hermione said, hoping to turn the conversation positive. 

“It–” 

“Hermione!” 

Hermione winced as she turned her head to see her friends entering the Hospital Wing. At the front of their group was Ginny, who ran straight over to Hermione with a bright smile on her face. 

“I’m so glad you’re okay!” Ginny exclaimed, throwing her arms around Hermione. 

Hermione groaned as a dull pain radiated through her arm. 

“Not quite _that_ okay, Ginny,” Hermione said. 

“Sorry!” Ginny yelped, pulling away from Hermione. 

“How’re you feeling?” Sally-Anne asked. 

“Your shield isn’t designed to stop projectiles, just spells, and I figured that that dragon was strong enough to break through it.” 

“Same old Hermione,” Ron said. 

Hermione looked around. “Where are Luna and Neville?” 

“Neville ran to Ravenclaw Tower to grab Luna on the way over here,” Harry said, sitting down on Ron’s bed. “He said he didn’t mind if we ran ahead, but said that Rose would’ve wanted all of her friends together.” 

“That’s probably true,” Hermione said. “Rose hates splitting the party.” 

“Hermione,” Ginny whispered. She pointed at Hermione’s bed. “Can I…?” 

“Go ahead,” Hermione said, drawing her legs closer to her chest as the ginger sat down. 

“So where is she?” Ron asked, sitting on the edge of his bed next to Harry. “If she hates ‘splitting the party’ so much, then why isn’t she here?” 

“Sally-Anne, did you check the Room of Requirement?” Hermione asked. 

“First place I thought to look,” Sally-Anne replied, sitting down beside Harry. “Nothing. Everyone keeps asking us that question. ‘Where is Rose?’ It’s as if the entire school is looking for her.” 

“The staff are probably afraid Rose is going to kill someone,” Hermione muttered. 

“Is she?” Harry asked. 

“After all this time, how could even _think_ that?” Hermione demanded. “How many times has she saved our lives?!” 

“We don’t know that much about her,” Harry said, glaring back at her. “Not really.” 

“She’s our friend!” Hermione exclaimed, wincing a little at the pain that emanated from her side. 

“She’s got strange magic that no one’s ever seen before,” Ron said. 

“Not you too!” 

“What if Rose doesn’t come back?” Harry asked. “What’s gonna happen then?” 

“Of course she’s coming back,” Hermione snapped. “Ginny?” 

“I don’t… really know her that well,” Ginny said. “She seems alright, but she still disappeared last year just before the Basilisk showed up.” 

Hermione couldn’t believe it. Her friends were already giving up on Rose, the girl that had saved their lives nearly half a dozen times. 

“Sally-Anne?” 

“She must be somewhere,” Sally-Anne said. 

“Thank you!” 

“Although, why did she run off like that?” 

“Because she was scared,” Hermione said. “We’ve all seen how she gets just _talking_ about dragons.” 

“It was just a boggart,” Ginny said. “I’ve seen them around the house sometimes. They’re scary, but I get over it.” 

“But _Rose_ runs away,” Ron said. “Miss Not-Afraid-of-Anything Herself. Can’t you use that seashell thing to find her?” 

“It only works one way,” Hermione said. 

“That’s convenient,” Harry muttered. 

“What’s gotten into all of you?!” Hermione exclaimed. “Rose is our friend!” 

“Then why didn’t _she_ stop that dragon yesterday?!” Harry shot back. 

“What’s going on?” Luna asked from the Hospital Wing entrance. 

She clutched Intelligencer like a little kid and her stuffed bear. 

“The others are ready to abandon Rose at the first sign of trouble,” Hermione said. 

Luna began to tremble, affecting poor Intelligencer more than Luna herself. 

“How could you?” she asked. “After what that thing did to her.” 

“ _You_ know?!” Hermione exclaimed. 

She had no idea what the dragon had done, but until that moment, she’d taken comfort in the fact that no one else knew either. 

“At least it’s not just us,” Harry said. 

“Leave her alone,” Neville said. 

“And here _you_ two are–” Harry began. 

“I’ve never had many friends,” Neville said. “I’m _not_ about to turn my back on one of them when she’s scared.” He glanced at Luna. “Either of them.” 

“It’s just a boggart,” Ron said. “Why can’t Rose just deal with it like everyone else?” 

“If I were to guess,” said a wise voice, “I would say she’s afraid of the mere memories, Mr. Weasley.” 

“Professor Dumbledore?” Hermione asked the Headmaster, who was stroding into the Hospital Wing. “What are you doing here?” 

“I got word that you were awake, and thought I’d stop by to see how you were doing,” the Headmaster replied. “Although, I think I should be more concerned about your friends right now. Show of hands, who’s gotten their full eight hours of sleep?” 

Hermione and Ron raised their hands. 

“So of the seven of you, Ms. Granger, who only requires two hours–” 

“ _How do you know that?_ ” Hermione asked. 

“He’s Professor Dumbledore,” Neville said quickly. “He knows everything.” 

“And Mr. Weasley, who was sedated by Madame Pomfrey.” 

“You can’t prove that!” Madame Pomfrey called from her office. 

“I _knew_ that tea tasted funny!” Ron exclaimed, clenching his fist in triumph. 

“It’s a good thing it’s Wednesday, and we can all relax for a day,” Professor Dumbledore said. “As for the reason your friend is missing, I believe she simply needs some time to recover, and let the memories fade back into her subconscious.” 

“Into her what?” Neville asked. 

“Rose probably represses the memories of whatever that thing was,” Hermione said. “That means she forces herself to not think about it.” 

“So seeing it brought all those memories back,” Sally-Anne said, her shoulders slumping. “Now I feel horrible.” 

“Loss of sleep over a few weeks will put everyone on edge,” Professor Dumbledore said simply. 

Hermione looked at each of her friends, and realized for the first time that everyone looked tired. She had been having bad dreams every night, but she could just go back to sleep after long enough. Hermione could survive on two hours of sleep, and, as she had discovered, it didn’t even need to be R.E.M. sleep. That meant that some nights Hermione could get enough sleep before the nightmares came. 

Her friends didn’t have that benefit. They needed a full eight hours of rest, so if they were interrupted by bad dreams, they couldn’t just wait until it passed to fall back asleep, or stay awake because they’d already gotten a good night’s sleep. 

The worst of them must have been Luna, although her pale skin might have simply exaggerated how bad she looked. 

“Is everyone like this?” Ginny asked, looking around at her friends. 

“I believe you seven are getting the worst of it,” Professor Dumbledore said. “I really am quite sorry that this is happening.” 

“The boggart or the Dementors?” Harry muttered. 

“Both,” Professor Dumbledore replied. 

No one said anything for a moment. They all looked at one another, but no one wanted to say anything. For the first time, Hermione didn’t know if it would be alright in the end. Everything was falling apart, and any shred of control she had once felt seemed lost forever. Despite it being morning, the sun would never truly rise again. A permanent night had fallen, and all was lost. 

“It’ll be alright,” Sally-Anne said confidently. 

“Rose will fix it,” Neville agreed. 

“She can fix anything,” Luna whispered, a sad smile creeping over her lips. 

“We’ve just got to find her,” Hermione said. 

“I wish you the best of luck with that,” Professor Dumbledore said. “I’ll leave you all to it.” 

As Professor Dumbledore left the Hospital Wing, Hermione looked to her friends. A thought had just occurred to her, and all at once, she knew what they had to do. She couldn’t find Rose on her own, but she knew who could. 

Hermione tapped her ear, then waited until she had visual confirmation from everyone that they understood before explaining her plan. 

“I need someone to go find the Twins and get them to tell you where Rose is,” Hermione said. 

“Why would _they_ know?” Ron asked with a hint of disgust that he probably hadn’t intended. 

“I’ll explain later, I promise, but right now, we’ve got to find them as soon as we can,” Hermione said. “They’ll probably be eating right now, so if we can catch them before they leave, we can talk to them now rather than wait for lunch.” 

“Why don’t we all go get them?” Neville asked. “Strength in numbers, right?” 

“We don’t need strength right now, we need stealth,” Hermione said. “If six people go to talk to them, everyone will suspect we’re up to something.” 

“That means we either need Ginny or Ron to go,” Sally-Anne said. “Apart from Rose and Hermione, none of us talk to the Twins often enough to have any reason to talk to them now.” 

“Except me and Ron,” Ginny said. “Because they’re our brothers.” 

“Exactly,” Hermione said. 

“I’m not leaving,” Ron said. 

“I can’t get them to tell me anything,” Ginny said. 

“Then get them to come here, and _I’ll_ make them talk,” Hermione said. 

“If they know where she is, Professor McGonagall can get it out of them,” Sally-Anne suggested. “Don’t the teachers want to know where Rose is just as much as we do?” 

“But Rose _doesn’t_ want them to know,” Hermione said. 

“She wants to be alone,” Luna said. 

“Teachers _never_ leave you alone,” Ron grumbled. 

“So we keep teachers out of it,” Harry said. “What else?” 

“There’s nothing more to say,” Hermione said. “Ginny, please?” 

“Alright, I’ll go,” Ginny sighed, getting up off Hermione’s bed, “but no one take my spot while I’m gone!” 

“Huh?” Ron asked. 

“There’s nowhere else to sit,” Ginny replied. 

“Girls are so weird,” Ron said. 

“Thank you, Ronald,” Luna said before Sally-Anne or Hermione could respond. “That’s nice of you to notice.” 

Neville and Ginny both smiled, then Ginny left to fetch her brothers. 

“Now, on to phase two,” Hermione said. “Harry, I’m going to need your invisibility cloak.” 

“What for?” he asked. 

“Once Fred and George tell us where to find Rose, I’m going to go fetch her,” Hermione said. “Madame Pomfrey can’t see me out of bed, and the staff can’t see me walking around. Besides, I need to intercept the Twins before they get here, so Madame Pomfrey and the portraits don’t hear the Twins when they tell me where she is.” 

“Isn’t she going to notice an empty bed?” Neville asked. 

“Not if one of the boys takes my place,” Hermione said. 

“They’ve got _hats of disguise_ , so they can pretend to be Hermione for an hour or two,” Luna said. “That’s brilliant.” 

Ron grinned as he put the pieces of Hermione’s plan together. 

“So we make a scene while you escape under the cloak,” Ron said, “then Ginny brings ‘you’ back while the real you goes to get Rose.” 

“Exactly,” Hermione said, smiling. 

“Why you?” Harry asked. 

“Because Rose won’t open up to the rest of you,” Hermione said. “No offence, but Luna and I are the only two to whom she’ll talk, and I don’t think she’ll want Luna seeing her in whatever state she’s in.” 

Sally-Anne nodded her understanding, and the others simply accepted that Hermione was probably right. 

“Are you going to be alright on your own?” Sally-Anne asked. 

“I’ll get whichever twin doesn’t pretend to be me to help me,” Hermione said. “Or if they won’t, I’ll convince them to impersonate Ginny while the real Ginny helps me along.” 

“As brilliant as this plan is, how do you know Fred and George will help you?” Ron asked. “They aren’t exactly the helping type.” 

“I’m not going to give them a choice,” Hermione said. “Now, if we could get moving, I don’t know when they’re going to be back.” 

Harry nodded, then reached into his pack and drew his invisibility cloak. 

“Thanks,” Hermione said, shifting around so she could get out of bed. 

She tossed the cloak over herself, then hurried out of the Hospital Wing. Not a minute later, she heard a series of loud popping noises, indicating that her friends were doing their part. 

* * *

Not a minute later, Hermione spotted Ginny, George, and Fred walking down an otherwise empty hallway. 

“Where’s Rose?” Hermione demanded, pulling the cloak off her. 

“Ah!” Ginny shrieked. 

“Hermione, we honestly don’t know,” one of the Twins said, evidently less startled by Hermione’s sudden appearance than their sister was. 

“ _Dürah_ ,” replied Hermione. “You know how I _know_ you know?” 

The boys shook their heads. 

“Rose never gets caught because she can disappear before anyone spots her. She knows when a person is within 60 feet of her, but you two can’t apparate in the castle grounds. Therefore, you’ve got to have some way of knowing where people are going to be so you can plan an escape route. You can’t _possibly_ predict where people are going to be every night, so you’ve got to have some way of tracking the students and staff. Therefore, you know where she is, right now. I don’t need to know _how_ you know; I just need to know where she is.” 

“As well-thought-out as that is–” Probably George said. 

“We still don’t know where–” Probably Fred started. 

“Tell me where she is, or I will learn how to make veritaserum, poison both of you with it, and gather Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape so you can tell them everything you’ve ever done!” Hermione paused for a moment. “You know what? Let’s add your mum to that! I’m sure she’d be thrilled to know about every _crime_ you’ve ever committed!” 

Hermione looked from George to Fred. 

“Think I’m joking?!” she demanded. 

Both boys shook their heads. 

“You know what I can do. You know I’ll figure it out, and if I don’t, I’ll go to Professor Snape, whom I sure would be _ecstatic_ to leave a book about veritaserum open on his desk for me. My memory borderlines on eidetic, and I can read a book by touching it, so all I need is a few seconds.” 

Fred and George exchanged looks. 

“That’s the answer,” George said. 

“She’s with Professor Snape,” Fred added. 

“In his office.” 

“We don’t know why.” 

“Thank you,” Hermione said in a sickly sweet voice. “See how much easier it is when you two cooperate?” 

Both boys nodded, then quickly got away from the girl that was currently terrifying both of them more than their mother or Professor McGonagall ever had. 

“Hold it!” Hermione shouted. “I still need your help.” 

The boys stopped dead in their tracks. 

“One of you has got to pretend to be me, preferably in the next five minutes,” Hermione said. “And the other one’s either going with me to Professor Snape’s office, or pretending to be Ginny returning me to the Hospital Wing.” 

“I’ll go with you,” one of the boys said. “Two imposters is more likely to get caught than one.” 

“Which one are you?” Hermione asked. 

“Fred,” Probably Fred said. 

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. 

“Promise!” Fred shouted as George began to shrink. 

In a matter of seconds, Hermione was staring at a carbon copy of herself. 

“That’s weird,” Hermione said, throwing the cloak back over her head. 

“It’s just an illusion,” George said in Hermione’s voice. “We’ll have to be careful not to touch people.” 

“Good,” Hermione said. “Ginny, thank you.” 

“Hermione, you’re the best,” Ginny said admiringly. 

“Thank you!” George said. 

“Not you!” Ginny said, punching her brother. 

“Ow!” George whined. “That hurt!” 

“If I find out you made a fool of me,” Hermione said through gritted teeth, “then I’ll make you explain yourself to _Rose_.” 

With that, Hermione and Fred walked off in one direction, while Ginny and George went in another. 

* * *

When Hermione and Fred reached Professor Snape’s office, Fred turned to Hermione. 

“I’m gonna leave,” Fred said. 

“Go,” Hermione said, pulling the cloak off her. “Thanks again, Fred.” 

“Make sure she’s alright,” Fred said. “Remember, she’s our friend too.” 

“I will,” Hermione said. 

Once Fred was clear, Hermione banged on the door with her good hand. 

“Professor Snape!” 

Professor Snape walked over to his office door and opened it. 

“What do you want, Ms. Granger?” 

“I know Rose is in your office,” she said. “I want to– Did you just call me ‘ _Ms._ Granger’?” 

“What of it?” 

Hermione blinked, then decided she didn’t care. 

“Never mind that, I want to talk to her, and I know she’s here.” 

“I don’t know where you got that idea, but–” 

“She won’t hide in the Room of Requirement because that was the first place we looked, so she’ll be somewhere out of the way. Rose wouldn’t pick a random classroom because she wouldn’t risk a student finding her on accident. Therefore, she’ll pick somewhere where people are least likely to go, which is your office.” 

Professor Snape glowered at her, but Hermione stood tall. She knew she was right, and nothing Snape could do would change her mind. 

“Let her in,” came a soft, Scottish voice. 

Professor Snape moved aside to allow Hermione access to his office. 

As Hermione walked past him, she swore she heard him mutter “Well done.” 

Sitting in the corner of the dimly lit room was Rose. She stared intently at the floor, and held her legs in her arms. 

“Hi,” Hermione said. 

Rose didn’t say anything, but smiled softly at Hermione. 

“I’m sorry,” Rose said. “I didn’t mean for you to get hurt.” 

“It’s alright,” Hermione replied. “It wasn’t your fault.” 

“How’s your arm?” 

“Arm, chest, shoulder, and thigh,” Hermione said, sitting down beside Rose. “It’s not so bad, really.” 

“Still my fault,” Rose mumbled. 

“None of us could’ve known that the one thing that affects you is a boggart,” Hermione said. “Rose, we need you. There are Dementors running rampant outside, and I’m honestly afraid to go to Care for Magical Creatures tomorrow. The second we go out there, I’m worried that those things are gonna flock to us like flies to honey.” 

“What would you have done if I had run away?” Rose asked. 

“You wouldn’t,” Hermione replied. “There’s no way that Rose Peta-Lorrum leaves her friends behind, nor does she give up.” 

“Yeah, I do,” Rose replied, her voice catching. “There’s no point in fighting that thing. All it does is take and take until everything you care about is gone.” 

“Rose, you’re starting to scare me,” Hermione said, tears in her eyes. “You’re supposed to tell me that everything’s going to be okay. You’re supposed to tell me about some mad idea you’ve got that will save us all.” 

“Is that how you see me?” Rose asked. “I’m not a hero, Hermione. I’m just a girl. I never have ideas; that’s Ron’s job.” 

Ignoring the shooting pain in her arm, Hermione wrapped her arms around Rose. 

“Rose, you’re the bravest person I’ve ever met. I can’t begin to imagine what sort of monster hurt you this badly, but I know this: Whatever it is, you don’t have to be afraid of it anymore. That was a long time ago, and–” 

“Three years,” Rose said. “It’s been about three years since it died.” 

“Wait, that means it was only a year before you met me!” Hermione gasped. “Rose, I’m so sorry! If I had known–” 

“That’s why I don’t tell anyone about him,” Rose said. “He tortured me, he… I don’t want to talk about it.” 

“You don’t have to,” Hermione said. “This is too weird without going into detail.” 

Rose stared at her, and Hermione began to worry that Rose couldn’t make facial expressions anymore. 

“ _I’m_ comforting _you_ ,” Hermione said. “It’s backwards. _You’re_ supposed to be comforting _me_.” 

“Maybe I’m broken,” Rose said. 

“No, you’re pathetic.” 

Both girls looked up to see that Professor Snape was still in the room. 

“Wallowing in self-pity, Peta-Lorrum?” he sneered. “After turning a man to stone, and beating a basilisk nearly to death, it’s a boggart that beats you?” 

“It’s not that simple,” Hermione said. 

“Was I talking to you, Granger?” 

“No, Professor,” Hermione replied quickly, turning her head down to stare at the ground. 

“These things are household pests. Everyone sees them, and everyone deals with them. It’s just you that hides in a corner and cries about it.” 

“You don’t understand,” Rose said softly. 

“You think you’re the only one who’s ever had something bad happen to them, Peta-Lorrum?” Professor Snape asked. 

“No, I don’t,” Rose replied. “What I _do_ know is what happened to you.” 

Professor Snape towered over them, glaring at Rose. 

“Do you know what I did about it?” Professor Snape asked. 

“No.” 

“I hid in a corner and cried about it. I learned a very important lesson when I did that.” 

“What?” 

“That it gets you nowhere,” the Potions Master said. “Stop crying, and go fix it. It _is_ what you’re best at, isn’t it?” 

Without another word, Professor Snape turned and left his office, his cloak billowing in his wake. 

“Have you talked to Sk’lar?” Hermione asked. “He’ll want to know if you haven’t.” 

For almost a minute, Rose didn’t say anything. She stared at the ground, and Hermione began to worry. 

“He’s not…” 

“There’s a ward around Hogwarts that blocks my telepathic network,” Rose said. “I don’t know the bounds of it. I haven’t talked with Sk’lar since we arrived.” 

Hermione would never know why she did what she did next. She didn’t know where she found the strength to stand up, but next thing she knew, she was on her feet, offering her good hand to Rose. 

“So let’s go find out,” she said. “Together.” 

Rose stared at Hermione, then at her hand. 

“I’m always here for you, Rose,” Hermione said, smiling. 

“I see what you did there,” Rose said, taking Hermione’s hand. “Where to, Brain?” 

“The edge of the apparition ward,” Hermione said. “Do you know where that is?” 

“I’ve got an idea,” Rose replied. 

Still holding Hermione’s hand, Rose activated her cloak and brought the two of them to a clearing in the Forbidden Forest. 

“Alright, this seems about right,” Hermione said, gauging the distance from the castle that she could just barely see off in the distance. “Try now.” 

<Sk’lar?> Rose pathed. 

“You included me,” Hermione said. 

“I know,” Rose replied. “I meant to.” 

<Rose! Thank the Paragons you’re alright!>

“Ah!” Hermione yelped as she heard a soft British voice in her head. “What was that?” 

<Where the Hells have you been, Rosie?!> roared another voice, this time a rough, female voice. 

<I’m sorry,> Rose pathed. <There’s a ward around Hogwarts. I couldn’t talk to you, and I couldn’t leave my friends defenceless.>

<Where are you now?> the first voice, presumably her brother, asked. 

<We’re outside the wards,> Rose pathed. <Hermione and I found the edge of the ward so I could talk to all of you.>

<Can she hear us?> the second voice asked. 

<Yeah,> Rose replied. 

“Who are they?” Hermione asked. 

“Elven accent is Sk’lar, the girl’s Alice,” Rose replied. 

“Elven equals British, got it.” 

<Hold on a few rounds,> Sk’lar pathed. <I’ll get Uncle Oz and Shadow.>

<Why don’t you just–> Rose asked. 

<You’ll understand in a moment,> Sk’lar replied. 

Rose’s eyes widened. 

“Please be doing what I think you’re doing,” she whispered. 

“What is he doing?” Hermione asked. 

“Something clever,” Rose said. “Something my big brother would do.” 

Before their eyes, a crack formed in the air. It grew wider, revealing a man on the other side. The man had dark gray skin, perfectly combed black hair, and robes of blue and indigo that fell perfectly on his form. Above his head floated a bright blue, glowing halo, and his robes bore a crest of a circle flanked by a pair of triangles that pointed outward. 

As Hermione took in the scene before her, she realized that she recognized the man: it was Rose’s brother. 

“We’ve got four minutes until the _gate_ closes and I’ve got to recast it,” Sk’lar said. 

“Can I…” Rose asked, approaching the gate. 

She reached out her hand, but to her dismay, it was blocked before reaching the other side. 

“I’m sorry, Rose,” came another British voice. 

As the _gate_ was completely opened, Hermione saw that Sk’lar was standing in a room filled with bookshelves. Three more people occupied the room. 

The first looked similar to Sk’lar, pointed ears and all, but his hair was silver, and his robes were black. In place of the circle and triangles, which Hermione realized were supposed to be an eye, this man’s clothes had an anvil and hammer imprinted on them. Hermione recognized the insignia as that of Arcrel, Rose’s old school, which made the other Elf her Uncle, Ozerl. 

Standing on the other side of Sk’lar was a woman with pink hair arranged in a pair of pigtails. She wore a blue dress with white clouds on it, and strapped to her thigh was a long, metal box. 

Standing off to the side, just barely in view, was a person that couldn’t have been more than three feet tall. She wore a black cloak, black boots, black gloves, and a black mask with blue markings on it. Seeing it properly for the first time, it looked familiar, although Hermione couldn’t place it aside from Rose’s drawings. 

“Sk’lar,” Hermione said, pointing at Rose’s brother. “Ozerl, Alice, and Shadow.” 

“Well done, Hermione,” Ozerl said. “I regrettably find myself unable to shake your hand, but I assure you it’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” 

“Likewise,” Hermione said, still getting over the shock of seeing Rose’s family for the first time. 

“What happened to you?” Alice asked Hermione. “Did you set off an acid trap? I did that once. Let me tell you, it–” 

“The Abomination,” Rose said. 

Alice stopped talking the moment Rose said the name, and they all turned to stare at Rose. 

“There’s this creature in this world called a boggart,” Hermione explained. “It turns into a person’s worst fear.” 

“How?” Shadow asked. 

Hermione jumped at hearing the woman’s voice for the first time. It was bizarre, like three different voices mixed into one. 

“It reads the surface thoughts of the person facing it,” Hermione replied. “So it–” 

“Impossible,” Shadow interrupted. 

“Occlumency doesn’t stop it either,” Hermione said. After an awkward silence, she added, “It’s like our form of _mind blank_.” 

“It sounds as if a boggart uses some other technique to determine a person’s worst fear,” Ozerl said. “Don’t you think?” 

“There’s a theory that witches and wizards actually project their worst fear onto it using accidental magic,” Hermione offered. 

“I can’t use your magic, Hermione,” Rose reminded her. 

“But no one really knows where boggarts come from, so that theory actually explains–” 

“As much as I would love to hear the rest of this, we haven’t got a lot of time,” Ozerl said calmly. “Rose, are you alright?” 

“Not really,” Rose said. “I was so sure I could handle it myself.” 

Hermione wasn’t sure what to make of what she was seeing. Rose was unstoppable and never faltered for a second. Now, she looked like a puppy that wanted to return to the warmth of its owner’s home during a rainstorm. Except that the door was shut, and no one could open it. 

Shadow walked up to the opening, then pressed her hand against the barrier. 

“It’ll be alright, Rose,” Shadow said. “That thing’s soul is trapped in Celestia. It’ll have to go through us to get to you.” 

Rose approached the barrier and placed her hand against Shadow’s. 

Most of her life, nearly anything Rose wanted, she simply had to make. She could craft anything her heart desired, but at that very moment, she wanted nothing more than for her hand to fall through and touch Shadow’s. Rose didn’t care if she never did anything else, so long as she could feel Shadow’s hand in hers again, even knowing how much complaining Shadow would do about it. 

“Thank you, Sweety,” Rose said. 

“Don’t call me ‘Sweety’.” 

“Worse than that,” Hermione said. “Once it gets _here_ , it’ll have to go through Professors McGonagall, Snape, Vector, and Dumbledore to get close to you. And then, it’ll have to go through _me_.” 

Alice flashed a smile that was almost identical to Rose’s. 

“I like her.” 

Hermione smiled back at Alice. 

“We’ve got 30 seconds left,” Sk’lar said. “Rose, are you going to be alright?” 

Rose looked from her brother, to her sister, to her uncle, then to Shadow. 

_Stop crying, and go fix it. It_ is _what you’re best at, isn’t it?_

She glanced back at Hermione, then grinned. 

“Yeah,” she said, taking her hand down. “I’ll be alright. Thank you.” 

“You’re family, Rose,” Ozerl said, “and we’re always here if you need us.” 

The portal began to shrink. 

“Goodbye,” Rose said sadly. 

“Don’t think of it as goodbye,” Alice said. “Think of it as looking forward to the next time you get to see us.” 

Rose smiled. 

“I’ll see you all later, then.” 

“It was nice meeting you all!” Hermione said. 

“Likewise!” Sk’lar said. 

“Take care of our little girl for us!” Alice called out. 

“Erm… Okay,” Hermione said hesitantly. 

_She usually takes care of me,_ Hermione thought, glancing at Rose. 

“Best of luck, girls,” Ozerl said. 

Shadow didn’t say anything, but instead nodded her head as the portal closed. 

Hermione wasn’t sure what to make of the whole experience. Rose’s family were just as strange as she was. Sk’lar and Ozerl seemed nice, and she could certainly see the resemblance between Shadow and Professor Snape. On top of that, Alice acted so much like Rose. Their faces weren’t that similar, so Hermione might not suspect they were blood relatives, but their personalities and facial expressions were nearly identical. 

A chill ran through the air, and Hermione looked around for the monsters she knew were coming. Sure enough, she saw the grass freezing over and Dementors flying overhead. 

“We should get going,” Rose said. “We’ve got work to do.” 

“Good to have you back, Rose,” Hermione said, smiling. 

“Glad to feel like my normal self, Brain,” Rose replied, grinning. 

Hermione hesitated. She had a question she wanted to ask, but wasn’t sure if she should. After everything Rose had gone through, the last thing she wanted to do was to bring up more of the pain Rose had gone through with that dragon. Despite this, there was a part of Hermione that just had to know the answer. It wasn’t asking much, really. 

“You want to know its name, right?” Rose asked, startling Hermione out of her thoughts. 

Hermione paused for a moment. 

“Yeah,” Hermione said. “That’s it. You don’t have to if you don’t want to.” 

Rose nodded. After everything that had transpired in the past few days, her friend had earned that much. 

“Valignatiejir.” 


	9. Expecto Patronum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we learn why it's a bad idea to mess with Alex Nertlyn, and our heroes form a plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** As J.K. Rowling is the creator of the Patronus Charm and Harry Potter, she would be the ideal person to ask about it.

Ron was starting to worry about Hermione. She’d been gone for a while, although he wasn’t sure exactly how long, and no part of their plan involved a signal to indicate that Hermione was in trouble. What if she’d been hurt? How were they supposed to know? Would Fred come find them? 

So far as he could tell from George, everything had been fine at least up until Hermione had found the Twins. They were off to the Dungeons, or at least, that’s what Ron had made out of George’s cryptic word puzzle. 

“The Twins said they were going down under,” “Hermione” had told them. “A little dark and dreary for my taste, but that’s George and Fred for you.” 

Unfortunately, the real Hermione was the one who always remembered they had their ear pearls, or whatever they were called, so it took Ron a while to remember he could just ask Ginny. 

“Dungeons,” she said. “Rose is with Snape.” 

“Why Snape?” Neville asked. 

“Don’t know,” Ginny replied. 

“I know Rose is fond of Professor Snape, but he’d be the first to give her up, wouldn’t he?” Sally-Anne asked. 

“She knows what she’s doing,” Neville said. “It’s Rose.” 

“I can’t say I’m a fan of this room,” George said, not understanding their conversation. “The windows are nice, but it feels dismal. Not colorful enough.” 

“If you don’t stop talking, you’ll give yourself away,” Ginny hissed. 

George had convinced Madame Pomfrey that he didn’t need to be looked over after Ginny returned with him, which was the first spell they dodged. After that, it was a matter of keeping up the charade, made more difficult by the endless sound being emitted from George’s mouth. 

“I talk all the time,” George hissed back. “I– Ah!” 

He fell to the ground as his bed suddenly vanished from beneath him. He stood up, realizing that his surroundings had changed. A pair of gloved hands hauled him out of view of the Hospital Wing. 

“Rose!” he whispered. 

“Good work, beautiful,” she said, tapping his cheek with her palm. “But they’re right, Brain doesn’t talk half that much unless it’s about books. It’s a good thing Madame Pomfrey doesn’t know that.” 

“You might want to stay that way, George,” Fred, who was standing next to them, said. “You look way better.” 

“We look the same,” George said, returning to normal. 

“Come on. Everyone knows _I’m_ the good-looking twin.” 

“Boys, settle down,” Rose said. “Obviously, _Ginny_ got all the looks in your family.” 

She stuck her tongue out at them, then vanished. 

* * *

Albus was pleasantly surprised by a burst of rose petals in his office just before lunchtime. He internally breathed a sigh of relief, knowing not only that his student was alright, but that the search for her was over. 

“Rose, I–” 

“Me first,” Rose said. “I’m sorry. I’ve been taking out my frustration on you, and that’s not fair. So I’m sorry, Professor.” 

Albus smiled warmly. It was good to know that the girl was almost back to normal. 

“Apology accepted, Rose. I’d like to apologize for not taking your issues more seriously. I’ve had a lot on my plate this year, but that’s no reason to turn down the needs of one of my students.” 

Rose smiled at him, but it wasn’t her normal smile. It was too condescending for her normal smile. 

“You’ve got nearly 300 students. You can’t make time for us all, so I’d say it was completely fair to ignore me for your own selfish reasons.” 

As nice as Rose was, she could be difficult to handle sometimes. Still, she was back and she’d settled down, and that was the important thing. 

“What happened to not taking your frustrations out on me?” 

“I said I was sorry, not that I was going to stop.” Rose laughed. “Come on, Professor, it’s like you don’t know me at all!” 

This time, it was Albus’s turn to laugh. 

“I see you are about back to normal.” 

“Just about,” Rose replied. “Don’t expect another pair of socks from Shadow and me for Christmas, though.” 

“Are you giving gifts as a couple now?” Albus asked. “Sounds serious.” 

“Don’t tell her that,” Rose said. “Although, speaking of Sirius, I need something he owned so I can find him and put an end to those wretched horrors outside.” 

Albus ran through his current assets for anything related to Sirius. He had a few possibilities, but only one he knew for certain. 

“You’ll want to ask Hagrid, then,” Albus replied. “His motorbike used to belong to Sirius.” 

Rose shook her head, sending her bobbed hair flying. 

“That’s too easy,” she said. “When that fails, what’s our backup plan?” 

Albus gave that some thought. Sirius was always friends with James, Peter, and Remus. With the deaths of the former two, Remus was all that was left of their group. Even though James was always Sirius’s best friend, surely Remus must know _something_ that could be helpful. 

“I’ll talk with Professor Lupin,” Albus said. Noticing the blank stare he was receiving, he added, “He used to be friends with Sirius Black.” 

“Nothing about that surprises me,” Rose replied. “I’m giving him a chance, since he’s still better than Quirrell or Lockhart. You should screen your staff better.” 

“I agree, but unfortunately, not many people still apply for the position, and I can only call in so many favors.” 

“Oh! I’ve got an idea!” 

“Teaching would require lots of boring paperwork.” 

“Never mind.” 

“I believe we’ve had this conversation before, haven’t we?” 

“No, I had it with Professor McGonagall, but I thought I’d ask again, just in case.” 

Albus smiled at the girl, happy that she was about back to normal. 

“It’s good to have you back, Rose.” 

“You’re not the first person to tell me that today,” Rose said. She beamed. “I must be special!” 

“Indeed you are,” Albus said. “Make sure to stop by and see Professor Lupin. He’s worried about you.” 

* * *

“Worried” was putting it mildly. Remus was in his office, pacing back and forth like a caged dog. He was worried about the students, his job, and his condition. He knew he needed to take a break for the day soon, but he didn’t want to leave the castle until Mses. Peta-Lorrum and Granger could be confirmed to be alright. 

How had it gone so wrong? He had been doing fine, the students loved the boggart lesson, despite the harsh nature of a boggart, but now everything was falling apart. Remus had made the grave mistake of running into Septima earlier that day, and she chewed him out worse than Minerva ever had. Given his old gang of friends and the mischief they made, he didn’t think such a feat was possible. 

“My brother paces when he thinks sometimes.” 

Remus was startled by a high-pitched Scottish voice. He looked around wildly, then saw that Rose Peta-Lorrum had returned. 

“Ms. Peta-Lorrum!” he exclaimed. 

“It’s a lot faster to just call me ‘Rose’.” 

“Rose, are you alright?” 

She shrugged. 

“I’ve been worse.” 

Remus breathed a sigh of relief, and felt as if an enormous weight had just been lifted from his shoulders. 

_One crisis down,_ he thought. 

“How is Ms. Granger?” he asked. 

“I fixed her up,” Rose replied. She tilted her head. “Come to think of it, I don’t think Madame Pomfrey likes it when I do that. Odd, considering she’s in charge of keeping students healthy.” 

Remus let out a nervous laugh. 

“I think she’d rather do it herself so she knows the work is good.” 

“I guess so,” Rose said. “Professor Dumbledore seems to think I should let you know I’m alright. So, I’m alright.” 

“Thank you.” 

“And Professor Lupin, even though your class didn’t go well, I trust you now.” 

Remus was confused. Why trust him after what had happened? He had forced the girl to face her worst nightmare, and failed to stop it from harming her best friend. None of the staff knew what that dragon was, or why Rose was terrified of it. This was the girl that could apparate at will despite a powerful ward against it, and that dragon scared her enough to run away. 

“Why?” 

“Because you tried to stop it. Quirrell and Lockhart would’ve stood there and laughed.” 

In spite of everything, Remus smiled. It was nice knowing he hadn’t made a _complete_ mess of things. 

“Thank you, Rose. That means a lot.” 

* * *

Despite both girls having returned, neither Hermione nor Rose spent the night in Gryffindor Tower. Hermione was confined to the Hospital Wing until Madame Pomfrey deemed her well enough to leave, and Rose spent the night with Luna in Ravenclaw Tower. 

“Peta-Lorrum, you’re not supposed to be out of your room past curfew,” Jackie Price, Luna’s prefect, informed Rose when she found the crimson-haired girl sitting next to Luna’s bed. 

“Is it curfew yet?” Rose asked. 

“You’ve got 10 minutes to get back to Gryffindor Tower, and I’m going to be checking up on Luna tonight, so I’d better not find you here.” 

“Okay,” Rose said, knowing that Jackie was lying. Rose had spent the night in Ravenclaw Tower on multiple occasions, but she had never once seen Jackie check up on her girls. She always thought it odd, given that Alex checked up on them before and after her rounds, every night, like clockwork. 

After Jackie descended the stairs, Rose turned to Luna, who was laying in bed. 

“Does she know I can turn invisible?” 

“She probably forgot,” Luna replied. “Probably the wrackspurts again.” 

“They get everywhere,” Rose agreed. 

Luna smiled, trying to show Rose that she was alright. She knew she was scared, but she’d learned not to show when something hurt. Not even Rose could fix everything. 

“Intelligencer’s feeling better,” Luna said. 

“That was my fault,” Rose said. “Inar, Int, and Ob all felt it when I saw that thing.” She shuddered. 

“Rose?” 

“Yeah, Luna?” 

“I’m sorry for what that dragon did to you.” 

“You don’t even know what it did.” 

“I guess not. It still scared you, so it must’ve been bad.” 

Rose gave a weak smile. She couldn’t tell anyone. She couldn’t tell them just how bad it was, not only because it was hard for her to talk about, but because it’d be even harder for them to hear. It was a burden that she and she alone had to bear. 

“Thanks, Luna,” Rose said. “It was horrible, but you don’t need to worry about it.” 

“Okay.” 

Rose’s head was still spinning from everything that had happened. She’d seen her worst nightmare come to life, then talked with her brother, sister, and best friend, not over the telepathic network, but in person. 

It was okay now, though. Now, she could start to unwind before figuring out what to do next. She could let Ron and Hermione be in charge of that. They were better at it, and, most importantly, she didn’t feel like it at that moment. 

* * *

Luna opened her eyes and felt a surge of fear when saw she was in the cave again. She instantly knew it was a dream, but she couldn’t wake up. She tried to run away, but something was holding her down. No matter how hard she struggled and fought against it, she couldn’t break free. 

“Help me!” she shouted. 

“Luna!” 

Luna spirits rose when she heard Rose’s voice calling out to her. Rose would save her. Rose wasn’t usually in this dream, but maybe it was a different one that did include Rose. 

“Rose!” 

Her heart sank when she looked around and didn’t see her crimson-haired friend. She had to be around there somewhere, but Luna could hardly see in the dimly lit cave. 

Luna was trapped in a nightmare, one that always ended the same. She took some comfort in knowing that she had started near the end. The worst was already past, but that wouldn’t stop the beast looming over her from killing her. It always did. 

“Luna! Wake up!” 

“Help me!” Luna shouted again, struggling against the claw that was pressing harder into her stomach. 

“ _I wish she were awake!_ ” 

The cave faded away, and Luna looked around in a panic. Rose was holding her tightly, a hint of fear in the girl’s eyes. Luna’s roommates looked at her with mild concern, although Jackie, who was also joining them, just looked angry. 

“Peta-Lorrum, what did you do?!” demanded Jackie. 

“Are you alright?” Rose asked Luna, ignoring the angry prefect. 

Luna didn’t reply, but buried her face in Rose’s chest. 

“It’s alright, Little Moon,” Rose whispered softly, stroking Luna’s hair. “It was just a nightmare. It’s over now.” 

“Peta-Lorrum, if you don’t leave, I’ll–” 

“ _Silence!_ ” Rose hissed. 

Jackie opened her mouth to shout at Rose more, but no sound came out. Rose didn’t want to deal with Luna’s incompetent prefect just that round. 

<Rose, I’m not sure this is a good place for Luna to be right now,> Reflectesalon informed her. 

<I’ve noticed,> Rose replied, looking around at the other students. 

Most of Luna’s housemates looked annoyed that Luna had woken them up, and Jackie was furious about being muted. It made Rose wonder how Luna had dealt with them for so long. 

“I’m taking Luna to Gryffindor Tower,” Rose informed them. “Tell who you like, just remember that any points I lose will be given back by Professor Dumbledore at the end of term, and the professors hate spending time with me, so detentions aren’t likely.” 

Without another word, Rose grabbed Luna’s pack and brought herself and Luna to Gryffindor Tower. It was close to midnight, so everyone was asleep. Rose laid Luna down in her bed, then pulled the covers over her. 

“Thank you, Rose,” Luna said quietly. “You didn’t have to do that.” 

“You’ll be better off here. Alex won’t mind you staying the night. She’s nice.” 

Luna held Intelligencer close as she settled into the unused bed. 

“Rose… erm…” 

“What is it, Little Moon?” 

Luna smiled at hearing her mum’s pet name for her. She loved that name. To other people, it was just a name, but to her, it was a promise that the nightmares would all go away, and that everything would be alright. It was hope that even without her mum, the good days would return. 

“Can you sing a lullaby?” 

Rose smiled back at Luna. 

“That’s the _only_ thing I can sing.” 

Just as her mum had done for her hundreds of times, Rose softly sang her lullaby and stroked Luna’s hair. As she sang the line “ _Silver, how it gleams_ ”, an idea struck Rose. As she finished up the second verse, she added a new one: 

_Red like Roses_  
_The snow glistens white_  
_I’m always here for you_  
_Everything’s alright_  


After Luna fell back asleep, Rose settled in next to her for the night. 

* * *

“Rose, hasn’t Hermione told you _not_ to kidnap Luna?” 

Rose looked up and saw Alex standing over her. 

“She had a bad dream,” Rose said. 

“Rose–” 

“She was screaming and thrashing in her sleep.” 

Alex stopped short, and her exhaustion changed to concern. 

“How’s she doing?” 

“Better now that she’s somewhere where people ask about her well-being and not just whine about the presence of an outsider.” 

“What?” 

It was three o’clock in the morning, so Alex was already tired, but as she began to understand the situation, she became angry. Alex knew all the prefects, so she’d met Jackie Price on several occasions. She also knew that Luna had been harassed by Ravenclaw the previous year, so she was already sceptical about Jackie’s ability to take care of her girls. Now, Rose, who had proven to be a credible source in the past, was telling her that Jackie didn’t even think to ask if Luna was okay, but instead got annoyed at Rose’s presence in Ravenclaw Tower. 

“Not even a word about it. No ‘Is Luna okay?’ or ‘What’s wrong with Lovegood?’,” Rose confirmed. 

Alex took a deep breath to calm herself down, then began to work out a plan of attack. 

“Thanks for informing me, Rose.” 

“She’s my little sister!” 

“Do you just decide people are part of your family?” 

“Only when they are!” 

In spite of everything, Alex laughed at the absurdity of it all. Rose had to be the strangest person she’d ever met, evidenced by her deciding that Luna was her sister being the _least_ weird thing she’d ever done. 

“Good to have you back, Rose,” Alex said. “Like I said at dinner: I’m glad you’re alright, and if you ever want to talk, I’m always available.” 

Rose nodded. 

“Good night, Rose.” 

“Good night, Alex. Thanks for being the best prefect ever.” 

Alex smiled with pride. Even if she hadn’t gotten her dream of Head Girl, it was nice to know that she was still doing her job well. 

* * *

As Rose had suspected, Hagrid was of no help to them. Apparently, someone had ripped his bike to pieces less than a week ago. 

“That’s no good to me, then,” Rose said. “Even if it’s repaired, it might not count as the same bike that Sirius owned, so it won’t work reliably.” 

“I’m sorry I can’t be any help ter ye,” Hagrid replied. “Especially after what happened with Buckbeak. If it hadn’t been fer ye kids, he’d a been in a lot o’ trouble.” 

“I’m glad everything worked out,” Sally-Anne said. 

She felt a little bad for Professor Hagrid. He got a lot of grief about his teaching methods, but she really liked his classes. They were more engaging than most classes, especially given her apathy towards the subject. She was only taking Care for Magical Creatures because her friends were, but it was hard not to get excited after hearing Professor Hagrid talk about whatever dangerous animal they were going to be learning about that day. His enthusiasm reminded her a little of how her dad talked about theatre, and it was just as contagious. 

“So now what?” Neville asked. 

“What else?” Rose replied. “We continue with Plan B. We’ve got Charms next, so after that, we ask Professor Flitwick to show us the Patronus Charm.” 

“I still can’t believe _Snape_ told her,” Ron said. 

“ _Professor_ Snape,” Hermione corrected. 

“What if Professor Flitwick doesn’t tell us?” Harry asked, once again the voice of pessimism. 

“Then we start asking every professor about it,” Rose replied. 

“He didn’t mind showing me the summoning charm,” Ron said. “I think he likes it when people ask him strange questions.” 

“I think it’s simpler than that,” Sally-Anne said. “He likes it when students take an interest in Charms.” 

“Better than Madame Pomfrey,” Harry said. “What did Ron do wrong?” 

“It’s impossible for a professional to work with an amateur trying to tell them how to do their job,” Hermione said. “Mum and Dad have that problem all the time.” 

“How’d she get away with it?” Harry asked. 

“Her official reason was sedating Cohort for his own good to prevent a panic attack,” Rose said. 

“How do _you_ know?” Harry asked. 

“Harry, calm down,” Sally-Anne said. 

“How _does_ she know?” Ron asked. 

“She just had Ref tell her,” Hermione said. “Honestly, how else does she learn anything?” 

Ron was beginning to get annoyed. Ever since Rose had gotten back, it was as if he had just faded into the background. Hermione no longer paid him any attention, and people kept shooting him down whenever he made a suggestion. He might as well not exist. 

It wasn’t that he _liked_ Hermione or anything, but she challenged him at chess. She was an insufferable know-it-all the rest of the time, but it was more fun to play against her than almost anyone else. With Rose taking up all her time, there was no way she was going to bother with him. 

The more Ron dwelt on it, the more annoyed he became. All through Charms he tossed idea after idea around in his head. 

_Hermione’s just happy Rose is back,_ he told himself. _Things will be back to normal soon._

_That’s just what you said when Percy was named Head Boy,_ he argued. _No one seemed to care what you did last year, nor that your marks were almost perfect. It was all ‘Oh! Percy made Head Boy! Who cares that Ron helped kill a basilisk?’_

_Hermione’s better than that. You’ll see._

_Says who? Hermione’s always cared more about Rose, who already has the entire school talking about her. Every time there’s a choice between you and Rose, Hermione’s going to pick Rose. Remember what Charlie said over the summer? Mum and Dad have always liked him and Bill and Percy better than us. Everyone likes them better than you._

_Except Harry and Hermione, and that’s_ not _what Charlie said. He said that you’re one of seven kids, and you’ve got to share Mum and Dad. He said that they could do better showing that they care, but they_ do _care._

_Right. They care, they just care more about_ Harry. 

_Like Hermione said, Sirius Black’s probably just after Harry. That’s why they’re worried. If he were after you, they’d be just as worried about you._

“Ron!” 

Ron looked around and saw that people were starting to leave. 

“Class is over,” Sally-Anne said. “Did you fall asleep again?” 

“No!” Ron shouted defensively. “I’m fine!” 

Sally-Anne had spent part of the class listening to Ron’s argument with himself, so she knew what was bothering him now. Similarly to Harry, there was just nothing she could do about it. 

“Sorry,” she said. 

_Some protector I turned out to be,_ Sally-Anne thought as she, Rose, and Hermione left for Runes. 

“Professor Flitwick!” Ron called as he and the other two boys approached the teacher. 

“Mr. Weasley! I hear you’re becoming quite the expert summoner!” 

“I guess,” he said. 

“Professor, we were wondering about the…” Neville closed his eyes as he concentrated on the name. “Pat… Patron…” 

“Patronus Charm?” Professor Flitwick asked. 

“That!” Neville exclaimed, glad that he had remembered enough of it to be understood. 

“I’ve had a lot of students asking about that lately,” Professor Flitwick replied. “It’s to be expected, given the Dementors on our front doorstep. What would you like to know?” 

“Anything you can tell us would be helpful,” Neville said. “We’ve all got a free period now.” 

“Wonderful,” Professor Flitwick said. “There will be another class in here soon, but I’m glad that I don’t have to worry about keeping any of you. The Patronus Charm is an interesting spell, since it doesn’t have wand motions as many other spells do. That’s not to say that it doesn’t use a wand, of course. Instead of using a wand movement, the energy for the spell is generated by a happy memory. The happier the memory, the stronger the spell. This results in a variety of different manifestations of the Patronus Charm.” 

The Charms Professor drew his wand. 

“ _Expecto Patronum!_ ” 

Before their eyes, a silvery, glowing orb appeared. It floated around the professor for a moment before vanishing. 

“That is the most basic manifestation of it. The next form is that of a shield, which is often sufficient to ward off Dementors. However, the most powerful form is this.” 

Once again, he cast the charm, but this time, a silvery owl sprang out of his wand. It flew around the classroom, catching the attention the first-years that had just arrived. 

“It is often said that the animal is indicative of the caster’s personality,” Professor Flitwick explained as the owl vanished. “Others say it is simply an animal for which the caster has an affinity. I once knew a man nearly as large as Professor Hagrid whose Patronus was a mouse.” 

“That’s brilliant,” Harry breathed. 

“I can tell by the looks on your faces that you’d like to know more, so I’ll direct you to Professor Lupin. It is his job, after all, to teach you to defend yourselves against dark creatures such as our unwelcomed guests. He’s also got quite a knack for the Patronus Charm.” 

“Thank you, Professor!” Neville said as the three of them started to leave. 

“My pleasure, gentlemen. Would you do me a favor?” 

“Sure,” Neville said. 

“Tell Ms. Peta-Lorrum I say ‘thank you’. She did the right thing helping Ms. Lovegood, no matter what anyone else says.” 

Neville looked to his two companions, but they had already left the room. 

“I will,” Neville said. 

“That’s what Professor Babbling said,” Rose said when Neville told her. 

“How’s she allowed to be a prefect if she treats Luna like that?” Neville asked. 

“Percy’s allowed to be a prefect,” Ron said, chuckling at his own joke. 

“That’s a horrible thing to say about your brother,” Sally-Anne said. “Alex says there’s more to being a prefect than just watching a few students. That’s just the part she’s best at.” 

“There’s also sucking up to the professors,” Ron said. “That’s the part _Percy’s_ best at.” 

* * *

In another part of the castle, someone else was also seeing to Luna’s well-being. 

“Jackie,” Alex greeted the Ravenclaw prefect. 

“What do you want, Nertlyn?” Jackie spat. “Here to gloat?” 

“No,” Alex replied. “I’m here to hear your side of the story.” 

“One of _your_ kids broke into Ravenclaw Tower and stole one of mine. That’s what happened.” 

“And the rest?” Alex asked. 

“That’s it.” 

Alex pressed her lips together and nodded, delighted that her encounter was going as expected. 

“Okay.” 

In a flash, Alex had Jackie physically pinned to the castle wall. 

“Don’t waste time struggling. I’ve got three little cousins that don’t listen to words or reason, and I can’t use magic outside of school. I’ve gotten good at intimidating people. I don’t _like_ to, but I can.” 

“Let go!” 

“If I ever hear that you ignored one of your girls when she was suffering again, I will personally see to it that you’re stripped of your prefect status, and that it’s added to your transcript. That way, _everyone_ will know what happened.” 

“You can’t!” 

“I _will_. You _don’t_ get to pick and choose which of your students you help. You help _all_ of them. That’s what it means to be a prefect. You put your own needs aside and help your students, because some of them haven’t got anyone else.” 

“Lovegood’s a freak! So is Peta-Lorrum! You only want a reason to be mad at Ravenclaw because Clearwater was picked for Head Girl and not you! Everyone knows you wanted it!” 

_That_ struck a nerve. Alex had her wand on Jackie before she herself knew what she was doing. Her anger threatened to boil over when she saw Jackie smirk. 

“Go ahead, Nertlyn. Do it. Show everyone that you’re not really Little Ms. Perfect.” 

Instead of blasting the girl’s head off, as Alex would’ve liked to have done, she took a step back, allowing Jackie to fall to the floor. 

“Here’s how it’s going to be from now on,” Alex said as Jackie climbed to her feet. “You treat Luna like she’s blood. If you don’t, I’m not going to stop Rose next time she tries to go out and kill you in your sleep. _And_ I’ll get you removed as a prefect, because I might not be Head Girl, but I _am_ friends with the Head Boy.” 

Alex looked Jackie dead in the eye. 

“And if you ever call one of my girls a freak again, I’ll kill you myself,” she hissed. 

Alex stormed off, satisfied that she had accomplished something. 

After a moment, she realized in horror what she’d done. She felt awful about it, but at the same time, told herself that it needed to be done. Among her group, she had an orphan and two Muggle-borns, all of whom had counted on her at some time or another. Alex couldn’t stand the thought of leaving one of her girls, even those who didn’t need it, to fend for herself. 

_We just thought better of you, Alexandra. I guess we were wrong._

“You’re not a kid anymore, Alex,” she told herself, shaking off a bad memory. “It didn’t have to be done like that. You’re an adult, so you should handle it like an adult.” 

It was lunchtime, but she figured if she moved quickly, she could intercept Professor McGonagall on her way to lunch. 

“Ten points from Gryffindor,” she muttered as she walked quickly through the halls. “Next time, Alex, let one of the professors handle it.” 

Professor McGonagall told her the same thing not a minute later. 


	10. Uninvited Guest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we remember that Sirius Black exists.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** J.K. Rowling owns Sirius Black.

“Professor Flitwick said we should ask Professor Lupin,” Neville said during lunch. “He showed us the charm. It was amazing! He said it turns into an owl… or it did for him, but it’s different for everybody.” 

“Rose, what are _you_ planning on doing?” Ginny asked. 

“I can already harm them,” Rose said. “I’m worried about you lot.” 

“Where _is_ Professor Lupin?” Sally-Anne asked, glancing at the empty chair at the Teachers’ Table. 

“He’s ill.” 

They all looked up to see Cedric coming up alongside them. 

“Is it alright if I sit here for a minute?” he asked. 

“Sure,” Hermione said before her friends could interject. 

“Thanks. How’re you feeling, Hermione?” 

“I’m alright. Feeling much better now, of course.” 

“I’m glad to hear it,” Cedric said, smiling. “Like I said, Professor Lupin was ill this morning. Professor Babbling subbed for him. She said he’d be out for a few days, but it was nothing to worry about.” 

“Why?” Ron asked. 

“I was worried he’d been sacked,” Hermione said. “After what happened on Tuesday.” 

“What did happen?” Cedric asked. “All we’ve heard is that it involved Rose and a dragon, although everything’s getting mixed in with rumors that Rose stole something or someone from Ravenclaw Tower last night.” 

“Who’s ‘we’?” Ron asked. 

“That was Luna,” Hermione said. “It’s a long story.” 

“Ah,” Cedric said. 

Ron turned to Harry. “You can hear me, right?” 

“Yeah,” Harry replied dismissively. 

“When did you get here, Ron?” Ginny asked. 

Ron glared at his sister as Hermione explained what she knew about the previous night to Cedric. 

“As for Tuesday, we had the boggart lesson, and it turned into a dragon for Rose,” Hermione explained to Cedric. “It shot acid for some reason, and I got caught with it.” 

“I saw the result of that, and I can say I’m glad you’re alright,” Cedric said, patting Hermione on the shoulder. “Arithmancy wouldn’t be the same without you.” 

Hermione blushed as Cedric stood up. 

“Lunch is almost over, so I’ve got to get going. I’m glad everyone’s alright.” 

“See you later,” Hermione said, smiling. 

She turned back to her friends to see Sally-Anne smiling at her. 

“What?” Hermione asked. 

“Nothing,” Sally-Anne said, the smile quickly vanishing from her face. “Absolutely nothing.” 

Sally-Anne glanced over at Rose, hoping she noticed it too, but Rose was too absorbed with keeping Luna company. Sally-Anne wasn’t sure if it was possible to officially change houses, but even if it wasn’t, Rose was making Luna an unofficial Gryffindor. 

* * *

“So, Granger, I’ve heard your friend Peta-Lorrum is starting to kidnap students from Ravenclaw.” 

_Rebecca_ would _bring that up._

“No, it was just Luna, and only because Rose didn’t feel Luna was safe in Ravenclaw Tower.” 

“That’s not her call,” Rebecca shot back. “It’s Price’s.” 

“Jackie didn’t so much as ask if Luna was okay. She didn’t stop and think that maybe she should tend to the girl that had just woken up _kicking_ and _screaming_ , but instead chose to go after Rose.” 

“That’s what _any_ prefect would do,” Roger said. 

“Alex didn’t,” Hermione said. “She knew Luna was there since around two in the morning.” 

“Sure she did,” Rebecca said. “She just happened to be there at _two in the morning_.” 

“Alex checks on us during the night before and after her rounds,” Hermione replied. “She’s always done that.” 

“Why?” 

“I do that with my boys,” Cedric said. “I check on them at curfew, before my rounds, after my rounds, and when I wake up. Especially with them being first-years, I want to make sure they’re handling Hogwarts life okay. My prefect did the same for me when I first started. I’m sure in two years when Hermione’s a prefect she’ll do the same for her girls.” 

Hermione didn’t know what to say. It wasn’t as if professors just pulled names out of a hat to select the prefects each year, although they typically had to pick from a small selection. It was an honor to be chosen, and the idea that Cedric thought so highly of her to think that she’d be chosen as a prefect was flattering beyond words. 

“Granger, a prefect?” Rebecca scoffed. 

“Sounds like a wonderful idea,” Professor Vector said as she entered the room, once again at just the right time. 

Hermione remembered Professor Vector saying she had an enchantment on her classroom that allowed her to hear when curse words were used. Could it also detect when students were starting to argue? Otherwise, Hermione couldn’t think of how she always came in at just the right moment. 

“I can’t say I condone Peta-Lorrum’s actions, but Price hasn’t got the high ground either,” Professor Vector said. “For that reason, to my knowledge, neither student has been punished.” 

“But–” Rebecca started. 

“I think it’s best to leave it, but I will ask this: For discussion’s sake, does anyone know the preferred procedure for dealing with a student with such dreams?” 

“Madame Pomfrey’s got dreamless sleep potions,” Alicia offered. 

“How do you know that?” Roger asked. 

“Alex told me,” Alicia replied, shrugging. 

“That sounds like something she’d know,” Hermione said. 

“If Jackie didn’t know that, she could’ve to Professor Flitwick,” Cedric said. “Professor Sprout tells us to go to her if we’re not sure.” 

Hermione never realized just how dedicated Alex was to taking care of them. The boys hardly saw Percy anymore, and the current incident spoke for Jackie Price’s ability to take care of her charges. The other Gryffindor prefects always seemed nice, even if Hermione had never learned their names. She knew Cedric would be amazing at being a prefect, because he was Cedric and amazing at everything he did. 

Hermione soon found herself wondering about her friends. Two people from Gryffindor in their year would be picked to be prefects, and her friends covered most of their year. She didn’t know the other two boys, Dean and Seamus, that well. She thought Lavender was a little too self-centered, but Parvati might be good at looking after half a dozen first-years. 

Something else she realized about Alex was that she had the respect of most of Gryffindor. Even members of other houses respected her to some extent, the inter-house rivalry being what it was. In that regard, Sally-Anne would be the best choice. She was thoughtful and kind, but had a knack for getting people to listen to her. Rose could be all those things if she wanted to, but she’d get bored in seconds and wander off in search of trouble, and that was _not_ the kind of person that should be a prefect. 

As for the boys, Harry was always panicky and moody about the current year’s problem, and Neville always seemed unsure of himself. 

That left Ron. Hermione was almost quick to dismiss him, but then remembered a few nights ago. He was sedated by Madame Pomfrey so he would stop trying to help. Hermione had no trouble believing that Ron stubbornly did anything, since that was the _only_ way he did anything, but she hadn’t thought about exactly what he did. Why had he stayed there all night? Was it just guilt? If so, why would he keep trying to help Madame Pomfrey? 

_Maybe Sally-Anne knows,_ Hermione thought. The dirty-blonde girl always seemed to know what was on everyone else’s mind. 

Arithmancy improved from there, with Professor Vector keeping them on topic. At the end of class, Professor Vector quickly gathered up her belongings and followed Hermione to Defence Against the Dark Arts. 

“Professor Vector, where are you going?” Hermione asked. 

“Same place as you, Hermione,” Professor Vector said. “Defence Against the Dark Arts. Professor Babbling and I have been alternating filling in for him. Professor Snape wanted to, but with the new schedules, he’s been too busy.” 

Hermione had almost completely forgotten about the schedules. The previous year, she’d been told they’d have to pull in something special to help her with classes, but then over the summer, she’d received a letter telling her otherwise. 

“How’d you and Professor McGonagall get the schedules to work out?” Hermione asked. “I thought it wasn’t possible.” 

“It wasn’t before, but there were some terms that professors insisted upon having regarding their work hours,” she replied. “After discussing it with them, we all agreed that we could be a little more flexible. With no more restrictions on class hours, we moved office hours to Wednesdays, agreed that we could hold them on Saturdays for anyone that wanted them, and Minerva and I sat down and worked out a schedule that worked.” 

Until just then, it hadn’t occurred to Hermione just how much effort her Head of House and favorite professor had put into ensuring her ability to take all of her classes. They had redone the entire schedule just for her. 

“Thank you,” Hermione said. “Oh! I’ve been working on wandless casting.” 

“Have you now?” 

“I think I’m starting to get the hang of it,” Hermione said. She held out her hand. “ _Lumana!_ ” 

Just as it had when she showed Rose, her hand lit up. 

“A good start, but I think we both know you can do better.” 

“I know, I’ve been slipping in my studies,” Hermione said as her hand went out. “I missed a lot while I was in the Hospital Wing, even if it was just a few hours.” 

“You were unconscious for most of the day,” Professor Vector said. She scowled as she drew a piece of parchment from her notes. “Here are the base equations for the various types of spells. There are a lot of them, but with your memory, I don’t think it will be a problem.” 

“Thank you,” Hermione said, placing the parchment inside one of her notebooks after looking it over. “That will help a lot.” 

* * *

Harry was happy to see that Professor Lupin had returned to class on Tuesday, just as Professors Vector and Babbling had said he would. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, settle down,” Professor Lupin said to a noisy class of third-years. 

Harry and his friends quieted down, but the rest of the students kept talking. 

After Professor Lupin got no response, he tried a different tactic. “Oi, you lot! Shut up so we can start class!” 

With the attention of every student, Professor Lupin smiled and took his normal place on top of his desk. 

“Now we can begin,” he said. “If you all don’t mind, even though our last lesson was cut short, I think we can safely move on from boggarts. Anyone that’s got any questions or concerns about them can see me during office hours tomorrow.” 

Harry almost didn’t believe that they had a professor that didn’t treat them like children. Or he did, but in a good way. He didn’t talk down to them, and Harry was _learning_ something. He was surprised to find that he _enjoyed_ class. It made him more confident that Professor Lupin could help them fend off the Dementors, especially since it was clear that the adults weren’t going to do anything about them. 

Harry went to Professor Lupin as soon as class was dismissed, while his friends were packing up their things. 

“Professor, we’d like you teach us the Patronus Charm,” Harry said. 

“Please,” Sally-Anne added quickly, hoping to compensate for Harry’s blunt approach. 

“That’s quite advanced,” Professor Lupin said. “Are you sure you six–” 

“Five,” Rose said. 

“–are ready for it?” 

“Probably not,” Neville said dejectedly. 

“I am,” Harry said. 

Professor Lupin chuckled to himself. 

“What?!” Harry snapped. 

“Sorry, you just reminded me of your dad for a second.” 

“You… you knew my dad?” 

“Both your parents were in my year at Hogwarts,” Professor Lupin explained. “They were my friends.” 

Harry instantly forgot all about the Patronus Charm. Instead, he had loads of questions for Professor Lupin. What had his parents been like? Were they smart like Hermione or nice like Sally-Anne? Were they Quidditch fanatics like Ron or mad like Rose? 

“Even if we can’t do it, we want to try,” Sally-Anne said. “Ginny and Luna too.” 

“Meet me here tomorrow, and–” 

“I’m meeting with Professor Vector at nine,” Hermione said. 

“Professor Babbling at noon,” Sally-Anne said. 

“Okay, what about two o’clock, right after lunch?” asked Professor Lupin. 

Everyone nodded their agreement, and they left the classroom. 

On their way out, Rose dragged Sally-Anne to the back of their group. 

“I’m going to tell you something because I know you’ll find out eventually, but you _can’t_ tell Scarface.” 

“What?” 

“Sirius was friends with Professor Lupin, who was friends with Scarface’s parents.” 

Sally-Anne gasped. 

“You can’t think–” 

“I do. Sirius was friends with Harry’s parents, and he was in prison for taking part in their murder.” 

“Rose, what happens when Harry finds out?” 

“You deny ever knowing anything about it,” Rose told her. “You never figured it out, because you never knew that Sirius was Professor Lupin’s friend.” 

“What about you?” 

“That’s _my_ problem.” 

* * *

The next month dragged slowly by. Professor Lupin started teaching them the Patronus Charm, although only Harry was able to conjure even just a ball of light. 

“I’ll see if I can get something on which we can practice,” Professor Lupin said at the end of one class. “I’m not sure I want to risk a boggart, but it’s the next best thing. It won’t be as effective, but it’s better than nothing. Theoretical defence only gives you so much.” 

“Can’t argue with that,” Rose said. 

Rose watched them during their lessons. It was common knowledge among their group that Rose couldn’t cast the Patronus Charm, but none of them told Professor Lupin this. When he asked, she just told him that she had no interest in learning it, and they left it at that. 

Their lessons were put on hold the week of Hallowe’en, as Professor Lupin was once again not feeling well. On Hallowe’en itself, the group found themselves at the Hallowe’en feast. 

“So what’s it going to be this year?” Hermione asked. 

“Well, for the first time in two years, we’re at the Hallowe’en Feast,” Sally-Anne said. “So whatever it is, it’s going to be horrible.” 

“Worse than a troll?” Hermione asked. 

“Why does something have to happen?” Ron asked. “Aren’t the Dementors bad enough?” 

“They can’t come inside, can they?” Ginny asked. 

“If they come inside, then I’ve got Professor Dumbledore’s blessing to tear through them like a first-level Wizard’s spellbook,” Rose said. 

“That’s comforting,” Hermione said. 

Sally-Anne turned to Harry, who was once again silent. 

“Harry?” she asked. “Not hearing voices again?” 

Harry gave her a crooked smile. 

“Not this year,” he said. “Just thinking.” 

“About what?” Sally-Anne asked, even though she knew the answer. 

“About my parents,” Harry said quietly, using the earpods to mask his speech. “I don’t really know anything about them.” 

“Why don’t we go and ask Professor Lupin about them tomorrow?” Sally-Anne whispered. “Just the two of us, so no one else tries changing the subject.” 

“Why do you want to go?” Harry asked. 

“Erm… Well…” 

Sally-Anne couldn’t think of an answer. She wanted to shout “I’m in love with you, you moron!”, but knew that it would only complicate matters. Sally-Anne wanted to be a part of Harry’s life, and to help him through any difficult times he had, but he kept shutting her out, and she didn’t know why. He wasn’t consciously thinking about it, so she couldn’t use her pendant to find out. 

She knew there things he was keeping secret. She heard him thinking about them over the summer. His family abused, beat, and humiliated him. She wanted to hug him and tell him it would all be okay, but she was worried that it was too late. What if he just shut her out forever? What if she never got through to him? 

“No reason,” Sally-Anne said. “It was just a suggestion.” 

“Thanks, but I think I’ll go on my own,” Harry said. 

“Okay,” Sally-Anne said, forcing a smile and hoping Harry didn’t notice. “Good luck.” 

“Thanks, Sally-Anne,” Harry said, wondering why Sally-Anne was faking a smile. 

He quickly dismissed it, figuring whatever it was, she’d be alright. Harry was more concerned about finding out more about his parents. 

After the feast, the group walked cautiously back to Gryffindor Tower. When they arrived, they all saw it. 

The portrait of the Fat Lady was hanging open, and there were slash marks across the canvas. The Fat Lady herself was nowhere to be found. 

A sense of dread spread through the students as they arrived. 

“What happened?” 

“What do we do?” 

“Was it Sirius Black?” 

“Back up!” Alex roared, directing the students back. “Everyone, back away from the portrait!” 

“But I wanna see!” shouted Brett. 

“For all you know, Sirius Black is still in there!” Alex shouted. “If you’re standing right there when he pops out, what do you think is gonna happen to you?!” 

Both her cousins took one look at the portrait, then obediently took several steps back. 

“Rose,” Alex said, turning to the third-year. “Check the common room. Make sure he’s gone, then come back out here.” 

“Why does _she_ get to go in?!” one student asked. 

“Because I said so!” Alex shouted, pulling out what she thought was the worst reason for anything. “If anyone’s got a problem with that, take it up with me tomorrow!” 

She nodded to Rose, who walked to the wall and vanished. 

_Next, we need teachers,_ Alex thought. She looked over the crowd and spotted Percy. “Percy! Fetch Professor McGonagall!” 

“Already on it!” he shouted. 

_Where’s the Fat Lady?_

“Has anyone found the Fat Lady?!” she called to the group. 

“She’s over here!” another student called. 

Alex looked around for someone responsible enough to keep people out. 

“Sally-Anne,” she hissed. “Can you contain them up here until Professor McGonagall shows up?” 

“I can try.” 

“Good. Use that rune of yours if you’ve got to, just keep them out of the common room.” 

“You can count on us,” Hermione said. 

Alex pushed through the growing crowd and found the Fat Lady hiding in another portrait, looking as if He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named himself had returned in front of her. 

“What happened?” Alex asked. 

“A dog! A big, black dog attacked me. I’ve never seen it before!” 

“Where is it?” Alex asked. An image of Rose and the dog formed in her head, but she dismissed it. 

_She’ll be fine. Merlin knows that girl can handle herself._

“I don’t know,” the Fat Lady said. 

“Everyone to one side!” 

Alex turned back and saw Professors McGonagall and Snape approaching them. 

“Thank you,” she said to the Fat Lady before moving to intercept them. 

“Ms. Nertlyn, what happened?” McGonagall asked. 

“The Fat Lady says a black dog attacked her,” she said. “No mention of Sirius Black.” 

“Is anyone inside?” McGonagall asked. 

“I sent Rose to make sure it’s safe,” Alex said. 

“Stay back!” Sally-Anne called from in front of them. 

“Ms. Perks, we can handle it from here,” McGonagall said. “Thank you.” 

A tense minute later, Rose left the common room. 

“Well?” Professor McGonagall asked. 

“It’s gone,” Rose said. “It wasn’t Sirius Black, but I think he sent it. It was a black dog.” 

“We know,” Professor Snape said. “The Fat Lady already told us. How did _you_ know?” 

“ _Speak with anything_ ,” Rose replied as Professor McGonagall shrunk down to a cat and sniffed around the corridor. 

“It went straight for the third-year boys’ room,” Rose said as she watched Professor McGonagall. “It looked around at Harry’s and Ron’s beds.” 

“Both of them?” Alex asked. 

Professor Snape muttered something to himself that Alex didn’t catch. 

“If it were only after Harry, then it wouldn’t have looked at Ron’s bed at all,” Rose said, “and if it were looking for Harry’s friends, it would’ve checked out Neville’s bed too.” 

“I can’t find its scent,” Professor McGonagall said, returning to normal. “Too many people have been here.” 

“Exactly why I can’t use _speak with anything_ to track it,” Rose said. 

“We need to lock down the castle. If we’re quick, we can stop it.” Professor McGonagall turned back to Alex. “Ms. Nertlyn! Get these students to the Great Hall at once!” 

“Yes, Professor!” Alex shouted. “You heard her! Great Hall! Move it!” 

“What about our things?” asked a little girl. 

“The house-elves will bring them,” Alex assured her. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure of it.” 

She got Percy’s attention again and they both stared shepherding the students. Alex didn’t catch whatever it was that Rose was discussing with Professor McGonagall until she heard Rose shouting. 

“I can help!” 

“I’ve seen your ‘help’, Peta-Lorrum!” Professor McGonagall shouted at her. 

Alex got the attention of Stacy Manning, one of the sixth-year prefects, and got her to take her place. Then Alex walked quietly back to Gryffindor Tower. 

“I can bring them their things!” Rose shouted. “Why won’t you let me help?!” 

“You stormed into my office and spoke to me in the most disrespectful tone I’ve ever heard!” Professor McGonagall shouted back. “If Professor Dumbledore didn’t like you so much, you’d have been thrown out of Hogwarts in an instant!” 

“Professor?” 

Alex knew she was speaking, but she couldn’t remember willing her mouth to move. 

“What?!” Professor McGonagall snapped. 

“Can she help under my direct supervision?” Alex asked. “There are–” 

“This isn’t your concern!” 

“With all due respect, Professor, yes it is,” Alex replied, raising her voice. “You trust me to resolve disputes and stand up for younger students. Rose is far from responsible, but she _can_ help.” 

Rose gave her a look that Alex had never seen on her face before: hope. 

“Only if she apologizes for what she did first,” Alex added, seeing the hostility in Professor McGonagall. 

“As much as I hate to agree to any of this,” Professor Snape said, “Nertlyn may be right. We’ve only got so few people to run around the castle. Peta-Lorrum can move a lot faster than we can.” 

Both professors exchanged looks amongst themselves and Alex, but after a moment, Professor McGonagall turned to Rose. 

“Well?” 

“I’m sorry,” she said. 

“For?” 

Rose rattled off a series of actions that left Alex horrified. 

“Rose!” she exclaimed at the end of it. 

“You think you can keep her in line?” Professor McGonagall asked. 

“If she steps out of line, I’ll tell Hermione what she’s done,” Alex said with more disgust than she’d intended. 

Rose perked up and her eyes went wide. 

“ _Now_ I’ve got your attention,” Alex said. “I need your help to gather up everyone’s belongings. Think you can do that?” 

Rose nodded, and the two girls got to work. They worked to collect everyone’s things until Percy fetched Alex. 

“What for?” she asked. 

“Professor Dumbledore wants to talk to the prefects,” he said. “It’s not just the Gryffindors; everyone’s going to be in the Great Hall tonight.” 

She followed Percy to an empty classroom where the other prefects were waiting. She caught Jackie glaring at her when she arrived, but stopped when Professor Dumbledore spoke. 

“I’m glad you all agreed to meet on such short notice.” 

Twenty-four pairs of eyes stared attentively, patiently awaiting instructions. 

“Students are in the process of being moved into the Great Hall,” Albus said. “Half the staff are currently handling this, while the other half are searching the castle for Sirius Black. You are no longer to patrol the castle at night, but instead to patrol just the area around the Great Hall. Six of you shall be patrolling the area at all times, in two hour shifts. No one is to leave the area. Their belongings are being gathered as we speak. Anything anyone needs will be brought to them. If anyone requires the restroom, then they must have an escort. That goes for all of you as well.” 

He looked around at the 24 faces in the room, and waited until he saw some form of understanding on every face. 

“Some students will give you trouble with this. It would be unfair to single out anyone in particular, so I’ll just tell you that _no one_ is above this rule. You are all aware of the existence of polyjuice potion, and thus should be on guard for any student acting different than usual. This is not permission to single out students you don’t like. I still expect each of you to treat every student fairly. It is times like this when we find out what sort of people we really are, and I know I’ll be proud of each and every one of you. You are dismissed.” 

As the other prefects got up to leave, Alex made her way over to Professor Dumbledore. 

“Professor?” 

“Ms. Nertlyn, how may I help you?” 

“I don’t think Rose is going to give us any trouble tonight.” 

“I don’t think so either,” Professor Dumbledore replied. “She’s far too worried about her friends to chase after Sirius Black on her own, and unlike most of the students at Hogwarts, she understands the severity of the situation.” 

“I guess she does,” Alex said. “I’m… I’m not sure if I _can_ treat her the same.” 

“Why is that?” Professor Dumbledore asked. 

“I’ve… sort of been letting her out… after curfew.” 

Alex lowered her head to avoid Professor Dumbledore’s gaze. She was a horrible prefect. She couldn’t keep track of her charges, she kept letting them break the rules, she set a horrible example for them, and she had lost her temper too many times to count. 

“I know.” 

Alex looked up. “You do?” 

“I’ve run into her a few times. We have nice chats.” 

“But it’s against the rules.” 

“So is letting a Ravenclaw sleep in Gryffindor Tower, but sometimes the rules don’t make sense. In her case, she gets anxious being forced to stay in one place with little to do. If she moves around, she’ll keep herself busy. She is unlike most of the students in that she doesn’t need sleep, and thus has over eight hours during which there is nothing better to do. In this case, that works to our advantage, as she can keep a constant watch over the students.” 

Alex still didn’t know everything about Rose, but she knew the girl didn’t eat or sleep. Professor Dumbledore was right; Rose could use enchantments Alex didn’t recognize, so she must know some way of keeping watch over a large group of people. 

“Is there anything else you’d like to ask me while you’ve got my attention?” Professor Dumbledore asked. 

Alex hesitated. She _did_ have a question that had been burning at the back her mind for months, but now that she had the chance, she didn’t want to ask it. When she gave it serious thought, she realized she knew the answer. 

She didn’t know the last time she saw Percy outside of meetings, and his boys were starting to suffer for it. Harry didn’t have anyone to explain anything to him, and Percy could’ve at least tried; he was Head Boy, but he was still a prefect. Alex’s first responsibility was to her girls, because that year, they needed her more than ever. She had made herself available to them, even at the cost of sleep and social time. She had turned down dates to guarantee she could keep track of them, because the thought of those girls dealing with the start of puberty, a serial killer on the loose, and soul-sucking demons from the pits of Hell itself on their doorstep was too much for her. 

Alex knew being a prefect was about more than just taking care of a few students, that it was about handling disputes and being Professor McGonagall’s eyes and ears in Gryffindor Tower, but there were five other prefects that could do all of that. Most of the students listened to Alex when she talked; even the _Slytherins_ gave her some attention. Any of the other prefects could earn respect like she had, but that wasn’t the hard part of the job. Making the judgement call to allow Luna to sleep in Gryffindor Tower, even though it was against the rules, or telling Professor McGonagall that she’d just threatened another student’s life, _that_ was hard. Had she been picked for Head Girl, she wouldn’t have seen the third-years that often, which would’ve left them out in the cold. Worse yet, it would push those calls onto someone else, and even though Alex knew she had made the right choices, it might not be so easy for someone else. 

“I did, but I don’t anymore.” 

“Are you sure?” 

“I am. For months, I wanted to know why you didn’t pick me for Head Girl, but I know the answer now. As disappointed as I was at first, I understand why you did what you did, Professor, and I’m glad you did it.” 

Albus nodded approvingly. 

“I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a more dedicated prefect, Ms. Nertlyn,” Professor Dumbledore said as if he had heard her entire thought process just then. “You should be proud of yourself.” 

“Thank you, Professor.” 

“I’m sorry to have placed such a heavy burden on you, but those girls in particular needed a strong role model. They’ve got tough choices ahead of them, and I wanted them to have someone there to help them make those choices.” 

Alex blushed. This was Albus Dumbledore himself, the single most accomplished wizard in history, the only person in existence He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named feared, and he had an enormous amount of faith in her. Alex couldn’t describe how wonderful it felt to be trusted so much by someone like him. 

“I won’t let you down, Sir.” 

“It never occurred to me that you would.” 

* * *

Alex returned to the Great Hall at one o’clock, after making rounds around the area for two hours. The only people she saw moving were the professors and other prefects, and, as they were all supposed to, everyone identified themselves to one another. 

If they found Sirius Black, they were supposed to draw as much attention to themselves as possible. If none of the professors heard her, she knew Rose would. 

Alex looked around, and sure enough, sitting in the exact center of the mass of students, was the girl herself. She had sat there all night, playing with a puzzle box Alex was pretty sure Hermione had gotten her last Christmas. 

“Rose, are you going to sit there all night?” Alex whispered. 

“I’m in the exact center of the students,” Rose replied. “I’ve got _blindsight_ out to 60 feet, _portal alarms_ at every single entrance to the Great Hall, and _prying eyes_ scanning the area at random intervals. _Nothing_ is getting past me. I even know where _Scabbers_ is right now.” 

“You’re really worried about them, aren’t you?” 

“Sirius Black is here to kill one of my friends, and you’ve put us all in fireball formation. A single area spell in the center will take out most of the students. I’m here to make sure he doesn’t get the chance.” 

Alex nodded. 

“The mass of students also serves as bait. If I can just get a chance at him, he _won’t_ escape me.” 

“Your friends aren’t bait, Rose,” Alex whispered. “You know that.” 

“Yeah, I’m just running out of ideas,” Rose said. 

“That’s got to be a first.” 

“Not really. Most of the spells I know my brother showed to me. Without him, I’m not much.” 

“You’re kidding me,” Alex said. “A few hours ago you were barking out orders like you’ve done it a million times.” 

Rose gave a faint smile. 

“It’s what Mum and Dad would’ve done. Whenever disaster struck, they were right there to help, even if no one wanted them there.” 

Alex looked at the little girl. Her typical broad smile disappeared, replaced by a smile so small it could’ve faded at any second, but remained determined to stay on the girl’s face. Her eyes weren’t bright, but instead looked like she should be crying. For a moment, Alex didn’t see Rose Peta-Lorrum, the girl that punched out a basilisk or allegedly turned a professor to stone, but instead the little girl that missed her mum and dad more than anything in the world. 

“Rose, you look like you could use a hug.” 

“I’m always happy to have a hug from a pretty girl,” Rose replied. 

Alex gently held her charge, then whispered, “I thought so.” 

“You get some rest, Alex,” Rose said. “I’ve got them covered.” 

“Good night, Rose,” Alex said. “Sweet… er…” 

_What do you say to a girl that doesn’t sleep?_ Alex asked. _How has this never come up?_

“Sweet dreams, Alex.” 

Rose settled in and thought about her mum and dad. She remembered them running off into danger, leaving Mr. Grund or Sarista to look after her. Every time they did, they came back with a story to tell her. Every time except the one time they didn’t come back. 

_I was going to see them in a few weeks,_ Rose thought, _then Uncle Oz came through my door, sat me down, and told me I was never going to see them again._

On that day, Rose became an orphan. 

She glanced over at Harry, who was fast asleep in his bedroll, then at Luna, not too far away. She had taken the liberty of arranging her friends’ bedrolls around her, ensuring that she could keep an eye on them. Harry had lost his parents, and Luna had lost her mum. They were both like her. They were lost, alone, and scared, even if they didn’t always admit it. 

It was odd; Rose knew she didn’t fit in with the Dwarves on Rontus, the Elves of Faera, even the Halflings in Luna. She was such a mixture of all of them that she didn’t fit in anywhere, and yet, sitting amongst new friends in a world that wasn’t her own, she felt a sense of belonging. 

_Maybe I fit in here._


	11. Demented Match

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a deal is made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** While I have made no deal with her, I do feel obligated to say that J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter.

“Rose, what did you find out in the common room?” Sally-Anne asked the next morning at breakfast. 

“It wasn’t Sirius that broke in, but he sent a black dog to do it.” 

Harry’s eyes grew wide. 

“What sort of a black dog?” he asked. 

“Hold on a swift,” Rose said, pulling her sketchpad out of her picnic basket. She showed him a picture of a familiar black dog. 

“I drew that last night,” Rose said. “Look familiar?” 

“It’s the dog that’s been following me over the summer,” Harry said. 

“Why didn’t you say something?!” Sally-Anne screeched. Her face turned pink when she realized how loud she’d been. 

“I didn’t think it was important,” Harry said. “I tried telling Professor McGonagall earlier this year, but she didn’t think anything of it.” 

“The dog’s working for Sirius Black,” Rose said. “It looked around your bed, Harry, and Ron’s bed.” 

“ _Mine?!_ ” Ron exclaimed. “What did it want around _my_ bed?” 

“Have you ever _tried_ training a dog?” Hermione asked. “I’ve never had one, but I’ve heard it’s hard. Where did he even get a dog? If this dog was trained by Sirius Black, he’d have done it in a few months. It’s probably some stray he found. He trained it to find Harry’s bed, and it got distracted by Ron’s. Probably smelled crumbs of something that fell off his clothes and onto his bed.” 

“What, am I not good enough for Sirius Black?” Ron asked. 

“Do you _want_ to be the target of a serial killer?” Hermione asked. 

“Well, erm, no,” Ron said. 

“What _I_ want to know is how it got through the portrait,” Hermione said. “That’s far too clever for a stray dog, so how’d he get it to do that?” 

Hermione felt like she was missing something obvious. It happened sometimes; her parents told her it was because she overthought everything. Something like once you get going, it’s hard to start over again. 

“Maybe it was looking for Harry’s friends,” Neville suggested. 

“Then why not look around your bed?” Hermione asked. 

“Right.” 

“Let’s not worry about it now,” Sally-Anne said. “The professors are taking care of it. Let’s just relax and try to enjoy ourselves.” 

_Like that’s possible,_ Harry thought. _At least Professor Lupin will be back soon._

As if Professor Lupin being too ill to talk to him about his parents wasn’t bad enough, Harry began to notice something just as infuriating on Tuesday morning. Percy walked with them on the way to History of Magic, then again on the way to Defence Against the Dark Arts. 

At first, Harry just thought Percy was making sure that they were alright, given that there had been a break-in Sunday. Percy was still their prefect, but then Harry realized that he had hardly seen Percy all year. 

_Maybe he’s just trying to keep an eye on us,_ Harry told himself. _He realized he needs to make sure we’re okay._

This illusion was dashed after lunch when Percy insisted that he needed to see Professor Vector about something when Harry just so happened to be walking to Arithmancy. 

“Are you following me?!” Harry demanded when no one else was around. 

“I’m your prefect,” Percy said. “I’m just making sure you’re alright.” 

“You’re also Ron’s, Neville’s, Dean’s, and Seamus’s prefect,” Harry shot back, “but you’re not watching _them_ right now, you’re watching _me_. Ron’s your brother!” 

“ _Ronald_ isn’t in danger, Potter; _you_ are.” 

“I’m fine!” Harry shouted, then took off towards Arithmancy, hoping that he could outrun Percy. 

It didn’t stop there. If Percy wasn’t walking with him and his friends, Harry would notice a professor that just so happened to be going the same way they were. 

“Is anyone else getting followed everywhere?” Harry asked at dinner that night. 

“No,” Neville replied. 

“Even _my_ parents aren’t getting Rose to follow me,” Hermione said. “They just told me not to lose the _condition conch_.” 

“They told me to be ready to help you,” Rose said to Hermione. 

“It’s just me?” Harry said. 

“Wait, who’s following you?” Ron asked. 

“How has no one else noticed that Percy’s always walking with us?” Harry asked. 

“It’s not just him,” Rose said, “the professors do it sometimes too, and Percy’s under orders from his mother not to let you out of his sight.” 

Sally-Anne wasn’t sure who was infuriated more, Harry or Ron. 

The difference between them was Harry was subtle about it. He ground his teeth together, clenched his fists, but otherwise gave no indication that he was angry. Sally-Anne wouldn’t have known if she hadn’t been inside his head. 

Ron’s face turned a shade of red that nearly matched Rose’s hair and began shouting. 

“So that dog goes around _my_ bed, but it’s too much to ask to have him keep _me_ safe! It’s not like I’m her own flesh and blood or something!” 

“Calm down,” Ginny said. “You know how much Mum loves Harry.” 

“There’s no reason to think Sirius Black’s after you,” Hermione said. 

“His dog was by my bloody bed!” shouted Ron. With that said, Ron stormed out of the Great Hall before anyone could keep arguing with him. 

“Someone should go talk to him,” Sally-Anne said. 

“He’ll be fine,” Ginny said. “He does stuff like this all the time. Just give him a few minutes, and he’ll calm down. He’ll have forgotten all about it in the morning.” 

Ron _seemed_ fine in the morning, but it was obvious to anyone that wasn’t wrapped up in their own problems that Ron was having problems of his own. Unfortunately for Ron, everyone else was wrapped up in their own problems. 

As the week went by, Harry began talking more, if only about the Quidditch match the following Saturday. That gave the boys something to talk about, and kept both _their_ minds off the Dementors and Sirius Black. 

Saturday morning rolled around, and it was _pouring_. Sally-Anne was certain they canceled other matches when the weather was that bad, but apparently they didn’t do that for Quidditch. 

“Who cares?” Ron scoffed. “It’s just a little rain! It won’t bother Harry, right, mate?” 

Harry was ecstatic for the first match. Wood had complemented him on how well he was doing in practice, something almost unheard-of from Wood, and it was all thanks to the new enchantment Rose put on his glasses. He could sense where any of the players were and react quickly. He could track the movements of the Snitch once it got within 30 feet of him, and he’d learned to distinguish between the Snitch and the other balls based on that sense. 

Within seconds of stepping out onto the Pitch, Harry’s glasses were completely useless as glasses. Harry began to panic; he couldn’t see anything but a fog of water, and he wasn’t sure if he could depend _entirely_ on the new ability. 

“Wood, we’ve got a problem!” Harry said, shouting to be heard in the rain. 

“That’s not something I want to hear just before a match, Potter,” Wood replied. 

“I can’t see through my glasses.” 

“Can’t you just wipe them off?” 

Harry wiped off his glasses again, but his sleeve was already soaked. He replaced his glasses, but found that the water was just smeared. He could see through them, but just barely. 

“I think I can play like this,” he said. 

Sally-Anne watched from the stands as Harry wiped off his glasses for the third time. 

“Rose, can you enchant Harry’s glasses so they don’t get wet?” 

“What good would that do?” Rose asked. “Glasses don’t change anything. My goggles can get wet, but I’ll still see through them. I don’t remember the exact rules for rain, but it’s just a penalty to Perception Checks, no matter what’s in your face slot.” 

Sally-Anne opened her mouth to argue, decided it wasn’t worth it, and turned to Hermione instead. 

“Hermione, can you–” 

“I’ve got him,” Hermione said, making her way down to the pitch. “Rose, get Wood to call a time out, or delay the match or something.” 

Rose still didn’t see the point of it, but her friends wanted her to, so she complied. 

<Hermione’s on her way to keep the rain off your glasses.>

“Hold up!” Harry said. 

“What is it now, Potter?” Wood asked impatiently. 

“Sorry,” Hermione said, running out to meet them. “I’ll only be a round! Harry, hand me your glasses!” 

“Did you just say ‘round’?” Harry asked, handing his glasses to Hermione. 

“Too much time around Rose!” Hermione called back, drawing her wand. 

After a quick enchantment, she handed them back to Harry. When he put them on, they were spotless. No matter how much rain fell on them, it slid off his glasses as fast as it got on them. 

At that moment, Harry could’ve kissed Hermione. His fears slid away like the rain on his glasses. 

“Hermione, that’s brilliant! Thanks!” 

“Don’t mention it,” Hermione said, holding her arms around her. “I’m going back to the stands to see if Rose can make a fire that won’t be put out by rain. It’s freezing!” 

Hermione ran back to the stands, then sat down on the wet benches. 

“It’s gonna be a long match, isn’t it?” she asked Sally-Anne. 

“I just hope Harry’s alright out there,” Sally-Anne said. “I’m worried about him. Especially after that dog broke in last week.” 

“He’ll be fine!” Ron said. “I just want to see the look on Malfoy’s face when he loses!” 

“Is that all you think about?” Hermione asked. “That dog was looking around your bed too!” 

“Not like Mum cares,” Ron muttered. 

He’d been over it at length in his head. His bed had been searched by Sirius Black’s dog, just like Harry’s, but his mum didn’t care about that. She was too worried about Harry, whom she loved like a son, instead of Ron, who was her _actual_ son. It was clear that he wasn’t important enough for his mum. What was so great about Harry, anyway? Ron thought about it for a moment, then realized that Harry had been allowed to play Quidditch as a first-year. Why did he always get special treatment? 

As he thought about it more, he realized that _everyone_ got special treatment, except him! Hermione and Sally-Anne were both teacher’s pets, while Rose and Harry got to break whatever rules they wanted. It wasn’t fair! Both his parents always wanted to know how Ginny was doing, or how Harry was doing, but never him! He had nearly mastered summoning! Not even Percy could say that! He was just as special as any of his friends, but it was always his friends that got the attention! His friends got special treatment, and all Ron got was punished! 

Ron looked up at Harry, flying through the rain like it was nothing. Ron had to admit, Harry was brilliant at Quidditch, but that was only because of the stuff Rose kept giving him. Come to think of it, why did Rose give everyone else stuff like that? She showered gifts on the others, but gave Ron a bracelet and a bag. The bracelet had been amazing, but she had given the same thing to Hermione, _and_ a ring that let her only sleep for two hours, _and_ a hair clip that made her clever. Why didn’t Rose give him anything like that? He was just as deserving of something like that as Hermione was! 

Ron wasn’t even good at chess anymore! He was starting to lose to Hermione, and it was all because of that hair clip Rose had given her! It wasn’t fair! 

“Ron, are you alright?” Neville asked, noticing that Ron was starting to turn red. 

“I–” Ron began. 

“Don’t waste your time,” Ginny said. “He’s just pouting.” 

It took all the restraint Ron had not to punch his sister in the face. She didn’t know anything about him, and there she was, acting like she knew everything! She was worse than Hermione! 

Any other day, Sally-Anne would’ve been sitting behind Ron. She would’ve heard his problems and tried to help him, but today she was in the front row looking up at the sky. Sally-Anne was too worried about Harry to worry about anyone else. 

Up in the sky, Harry sensed a familiar movement and dove towards the Golden Snitch. Malfoy was on his tail in seconds, but it didn’t matter. Harry could keep track of both of them at once, something Malfoy couldn’t do, and Harry exploited that fact. Not to mention, Malfoy couldn’t see the Snitch in the rain, but knew Harry must’ve, so he was just following Harry. 

Harry dove straight towards the ground, then cruised just above the grass. He reached out his hand when he got close to the stands, and Malfoy flew past him, right into the stands. 

Harry grinned, pleased that Ron’s trick had worked. 

_Gotta thank Ron for suggesting that,_ he thought as he went for the _real_ Golden Snitch. He had it in his hand by the time Malfoy was back in the air. 

Madame Hooch called the match, awarding the victory to Gryffindor. The crowd cheered, and for a moment, Harry was on top of the world. Nothing could go wrong as he soared through the air. 

Someone in the audience screamed, knocking Harry out of his daze. He looked around, but he felt it before he saw it. 

The air turned cold, and a wave of sadness washed over him. His ears buzzed with the sound of someone screaming his name, then everything went black. 

* * *

Mass panic ensued as Dementors flooded the Pitch. _Everyone_ was desperate to get away from the Dementors. Prefects and professors tried to herd the students and restore order, but few people could think straight with that many Dementors so close. 

“Rose, do something!” Sally-Anne screamed. 

“About what?” Rose hissed. “ _I’m_ not allowed to touch those things.” 

She glared over at Professor Dumbledore, who met her gaze. Hermione watched the two of them glare at one another. She couldn’t tell which of them was angrier about the Dementors. 

“Rose, this isn’t his fault,” Hermione said. 

“Sure it’s not,” she growled. 

Professor Dumbledore drew his wand and aimed it towards the Pitch. Without uttering a word, he conjured a ball of light that shot towards the Pitch. The ball of light took the form of a phoenix, flapping its majestic wings as it soared through the air. The Dementors began to flee the second the light from the bird touched them. 

Just as the crowd began to settle down, Sally-Anne screamed. 

“Harry!” 

Looking up, they all saw Harry plummeting towards the ground. His broom was flying off into the horizon, no longer attended to by the young Seeker. 

“He’s fine,” Rose said. “He’s got a _ring of feather fall_ , so he won’t get hurt.” 

“Are you _sure_?” Hermione asked, receiving the harshest glare she’d ever got from Rose. 

“ _Arresto Momentum!_ ” 

They all looked down to the Pitch and saw Professor Dumbledore on the ground. No one knew had seen him get from the stands to the pitch, but he was there slowing Harry’s descent. Professor Dumbledore picked him up when he reached the ground and rushed him off the Pitch. 

The crowd stormed the Pitch, everyone trying to see what was happening. The Gryffindor Quidditch team raced to get ahead so they could see how Harry was doing, professors pushed their way through the crowd, and his friends tried to get to him to make sure he was okay. 

“ _MOVE!_ ” Professor Dumbledore roared as people began to crowd him. 

The crowd obediently parted to allow him to pass, and he exited the Pitch. 

* * *

Harry slowly opened his eyes. 

“He’s waking up!” a voice that sounded a lot like Sally-Anne said. 

He saw his friend at his side, her face lit up with joy. 

“What happened?” he asked. 

“Dementors, mate,” Ron said. 

Despite his current frustration with his friends, they were still his friends, and Ron knew he should be with them. Besides, if he wasn’t with them, Rose would kill him. 

“ _All_ of them were on the field,” Sally-Anne said. 

Harry looked around and realized that he was in the Hospital Wing. With him were Sally-Anne, Hermione, Ron, Neville, Ginny, and the entire Gryffindor Quidditch team. 

“You caught the Snitch, then they all started flying in,” Ron said. “Must’ve been Slytherin fans.” 

“Not the time, Ron,” Sally-Anne said. “Harry, you must’ve passed out, because you fell off your broom.” 

“Did Rose catch me?” Harry asked. 

“No, Professor Dumbledore did,” Ginny said. “Rose said you didn’t need to be caught.” 

“Yeah, that ring she gave me,” Harry said, looking around. “Where _is_ Rose?” 

“Never mind her,” Wood interrupted. “The Dementors are still crawling the grounds, so they could be at any match. If they’re gonna be a problem, Potter, then I’m gonna need a new Seeker.” 

Harry didn’t know what to say. 

“ _What?!_ ” he exclaimed. 

“What does that mean?!” Sally-Anne shouted. 

“I need to be able to count on you during a match,” Wood said, ignoring Sally-Anne. “Don’t get me wrong, that fake-out you pulled on Malfoy was good, but we were still lucky you ended the match before the Dementors got there. Diggory and Chang wouldn’t have fallen for it so easily, and they might’ve caught the Snitch before we got the match postponed.” 

“What are you saying?” Harry asked. 

“We need to start training a reserve,” Wood said. 

_This is my chance,_ Ron thought. It wasn’t the ideal position for him; that would be his _next_ year after Wood graduated. Ron wanted to be Keeper, because it would be like midair chess. He could just watch the field, stop anything from coming near him, and fame and glory would be his for the taking. This was a good head start on it; he’d get to know the team and understand their dynamic, so next year they’d all work well together. 

“Weasley!” 

“Really?” Ron asked. It was a dream come true. He had been picked for– 

“Not you,” Wood said. “Her.” 

“Me?” Ginny asked. “Why me? I’m not–” 

“We need a strong flier, and Madame Hooch says your the next best Gryffindor’s got to offer. Potter, once you’ve recovered, you’re to start training her.” 

“Congratulations, Ginny,” Neville said. 

“Thanks, I guess,” Ginny said. 

Ginny didn’t know what to do. A year ago she would’ve jumped at the chance to work closely with Harry, but now it wasn’t half as exciting as being selected as the reserve Seeker. She had always thought of Harry as some brave, handsome hero, but then she’d seen Hermione, Sally-Anne, and Neville. Hermione was amazing all the time, Sally-Anne had wiped the floor with Draco Malfoy, and Neville had grabbed the Sword of Gryffindor to kill the Basilisk without so much as stopping to think about it. True, it had been Ginny that had set the thing ablaze, but Neville was still more brave than Ginny could ever hope to be. 

Harry and Ron were both upset about it, but for different reasons. Ron hated the idea that his _kid sister_ had been chosen for the Quidditch team instead of him. He was a brilliant flier! _Why was everyone else being given special treatment?!_

Harry couldn’t stand the thought of someone replacing him on the Quidditch team. Quidditch was important to him, and it was a lot of fun. It was as if he could just leave his problems on the ground and fly away on his broom. 

“Where’s my broom?” Harry asked. 

Sally-Anne looked at Hermione, who shook her head. 

“That’s gonna be a problem,” Fred said. 

“We tried to go after it,” George said. 

“It flew into the Whomping Willow.” 

“The what?” Ginny asked. 

“It’s a living tree on the grounds,” Ron said condescendingly. “It attacks anything that goes near it.” 

“It tore your broom to pieces,” George said, holding up a bag. “This is all that’s left.” 

Harry’s heart sank. Even compared to the news that he might be replaced on the Quidditch team, the loss of his broom hit him hard. His broom was like one of his friends, and losing it was as if he had just received news that Sally-Anne or Ron had died. 

“I…” Harry said. 

“Why don’t we take what’s left to Rose?” Neville offered. “She can probably fix it.” 

“I don’t think she can,” Hermione said. “There are tons of enchantments on brooms, most of them patented. They’re resistant to analysis, so even _I_ can’t get at them.” 

“Besides, we can’t have you using a non-regulation broom,” Wood said. “It’d be cheating.” 

“ _How do you have regulation brooms?_ ” Sally-Anne mouthed. 

_You’ll just have to get by like the rest of us, mate,_ Ron thought. 

Losing a prized broom was something Ron understood, even as indignant as he was. Ron wasn’t about to mock his best friend just because he was angry at him, not after something like this. 

“Speaking of Rose, where is she?” Harry asked. 

“She said she wanted to talk with Professor Dumbledore,” Hermione said. 

* * *

Rose appeared in the last place to which she expected to return. She trudged through the damp room, noting that the floor and ceiling had been repaired since her last visit. The statues lining the room watched as she approached the large statue of Salazar Slytherin. 

Rose’s “meeting” (or shouting match, depending on who you asked) with Professor Dumbledore went about as well as she’d expected. Once again, the staff had chosen not to help her, so she was going to someone who would. Any one of the Exalted could figure out a way to fix the Dementors and Sirius Black, but she still couldn’t leave Hogwarts without endangering her friends. 

That meant she had one option. 

“Sally!” she shouted. “Get out here!” 

For a minute, there was no reply, and Rose instinctively looked for the most breakable object in the room. 

“Sally!” she screamed. 

“ _Back so soon?_ ” crowed Sally. 

“I’m ready to talk,” Rose said. “What do you want?” 

“ _Me? Nothing._ ” 

“ _Ne do gromph_ , Sally!” Rose screamed. 

“ _So touchy today. Did your meeting not go well?_ ” 

“I don’t like shouting at the air!” 

“ _Very well_.” 

A red blob rose up from the floor, taking shape as it did, and within seconds, a boy about Rose’s apparent age stood before her. 

“Better?” the boy asked in a voice that almost could’ve been mistaken for a nine-year-old boy. 

“Much better,” Rose replied. “What do you want from me?” 

“Why must I want anything?” Sally asked. 

“You put that _gromphun_ ward up, so I can’t talk to my family. I can’t leave, or else I can’t talk to my friends, and it’s dangerous around here. I want the ward removed, so I’m willing to make a deal. Name your price.” 

“Very well, there _is_ something I desire. In exchange for dropping the ward, I want you to retrieve something for me from outside of the castle.” 

Rose briefly wondered why Sally couldn’t get it himself, but if that was all she needed to do, then she figured it wasn’t important. 

“Then when I leave, you’ve got to promise that my friends won’t get hurt!” Rose demanded. 

“No,” Sally said. “I will not drop the ward until you have retrieved this object for me, but if you’re out there retrieving it, why would I harm your friends?” 

Rose had already had enough of people messing with her. She just wanted to talk to her family without worrying about her friends. Sally had a point; if he needed something from her, it didn’t make sense to remove one of his bargaining chips. 

“While you’re pondering that, I’ll give you something else to worry about: If you’re outside of the ward, why not just talk to your family and never collect anything for me?” 

“Because if I don’t,” Rose said through gritted teeth, “I can’t be sure my friends are alright.” 

“See, Little Rosie, you and I understand one another. It’s not all politics like it is upstairs, it’s just trading favors. Everything’s _simple_ down here. Can you believe that Dumbledore’s plan for handling the Dementors is a letter writing campaign?” 

Rose had to admit, that plan not only sounded like something Dumbledore would do, but it also sounded like a pathetic attempt at reasoning with Fudge. 

“Alright,” Rose said. “You’ve got a deal.” 

“Not quite,” Sally said. His silver gloves melted into his hands. “We’re going to guarantee this with something called a Blood Pact.” 

Rose rolled her eyes. 

“What’s a Blood Pact, Sally?” she asked with as much enthusiasm as she could muster. 

“I’m glad you asked, Little Rosie,” Sally replied just as sarcastically. “It’s something I developed a long time ago. We both make our side of the pact, and both offer up something of equal value to the pact. So what’s just as important to you as talking to Sk’lar, Shadow, and Alice?” 

Rose thought about that for a long time. Reflectesalon was more important than being able to talk to her family; he _was_ her family. _Serendipity_ and _Crimson Thorn_ were less important, since she could remake them. The remakes wouldn’t be as good as the originals, but they’d still get the job done. 

“What about your notebook?” Sally asked. “I’ve heard you rattle off some pieces of wisdom from your brother. It must be like you can still talk to them so long as you’ve got it.” 

“Alright,” Rose said. “I’ll offer up my notebook. What’s your end of the bargain?” 

“In exchange for removing the ward, I want you to retrieve Hufflepuff’s Cup,” Sally replied. 

“Of course, you’ve got no idea where it is.” 

A smile formed on Sally’s perfect face, and Rose wanted to put her fist into it. 

“Not the faintest idea, although it was owned by Helga Hufflepuff at some point. Perhaps you should start with her.” 

“Fine, what are you offering?” Rose asked. 

“Oh, you don’t actually have to say what you’re offering, just concentrate on it. Since this _is_ your first time, I’ll be nice. I’ll offer up my Spektres.” 

Rose immediately wondered why the cup was worth so much to Sally. Either that, or his Spektres were worth little to him. 

“Deal,” Rose said. “Do I need to take off my glove?” 

“Yes. A rune will be carved into both of our hands. The pact will end when you give the cup to me.” 

“Alright,” Rose said, removing her glove and seeing her hand for possibly the first time since she made the _Ring of Life’s Flame_. 

Sally’s hand glowed green, and he took Rose’s hand in his. As they shook on it, Rose’s hand glowed with the same green light, and she felt as if someone were branding her hand. 

Sally released her hand, and she looked at her palm. Her right hand now bore a rune made up of a triangle enclosing a pair of concentric circles. 

“The top two edges are us, the bottom is the pact,” Sally explained. “The circles in the middle are the eye that watches to ensure that the pact is honored. If the pact is broken, that line at the bottom will vanish, and whatever it was that the pact breaker offered up will be sucked inside those circles, trapped there forever.” 

“Noted,” Rose said, not caring about anything Sally had to say. 

She turned to walk away, then glanced back over her shoulder. Sally stared back at her with eerie green eyes. No, it wasn’t his eyes that were creepy; it was his smile. 

“Stop that.” 

“Stop what?” 

“Smiling. It’s creepy.” 

His smile vanished and he glowered at Rose. 

“Better?” 

“Much. I’ll have your cup for you soon, Sally.” 

“Then I look forward to your next visit, Little Rosie.” 


	12. Stealing the Sword

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which people have feelings, and Rose commits a felony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** We cannot steal the Sword of Gryffindor from J.K. Rowling, for it is hers and hers alone.

While Rose was chatting with Sally, the rest of her friends, sans Harry, returned to Gryffindor Tower. Unlike most Quidditch matches Gryffindor won, there was no post-match celebration. No one felt like it was worth celebrating. 

“This is mad,” Neville said. “What do we do now?” 

“I don’t think the Patronus Charm is enough, even if we _do_ learn it,” Ginny said. 

“Professor Dumbledore used it to stop the Dementors,” Neville reminded her. “He was amazing.” 

“That’s Professor Dumbledore,” Hermione said. “He’s had a lot of practice.” 

“Everyone’s alright now,” Sally-Anne said. “We should get some rest.” 

“That’s your answer to everything,” Ron said. 

“Right,” Sally-Anne said. “I guess it is.” 

“It’s not a bad idea,” Hermione said. 

“Is Rose still talking to Professor Dumbledore?” Neville asked. 

“I’ll check,” Hermione said. 

<Rose, where are you? Eom.>

<Be there soon. Eom.>

“She says she’s just finishing up,” Hermione said. 

“I’m back,” Rose said, popping into the common room. “What’d I miss?” 

Rose looked around, waiting for an answer that never came. 

“What’s wrong with you lot?” she asked. 

“Seeing that many Dementors all at once,” Ginny said. “Just… What’s the point of fighting them? We can’t fight _that_ many.” 

“That’s just the Dementors talking,” Sally-Anne said. “We’ll all feel fine later.” 

“You sure?” Ron muttered. 

“Positive.” Sally-Anne turned to Rose. “Right, Rose?” 

Rose didn’t reply, but stared vacantly at her hand. 

“Rose?” 

“Hm?” Rose snapped to attention. “Sure.” 

_Not her too,_ Sally-Anne thought. 

“What did Professor Dumbledore say?” Neville asked. “He must have a plan.” 

Rose was thankful for her high Bluff modifier, because without it, she never would’ve been able to say what she said next convincingly. 

“He said he’s taking care of it,” Rose said. “Me too.” 

Neville smiled. He was glad that he could still count on Rose and Professor Dumbledore to make things right, even when everything had gone so wrong. 

“It’s late,” Sally-Anne said. “We really should get some rest.” 

Without waiting for her friends, Sally-Anne stood up and started up the stairs to her room. She was exhausted, and wanted nothing more than to collapse in her soft, warm bed. 

After the others had all left, Neville turned to Rose. 

“Rose, I… I want to ask you something.” 

“Neville, whatever it is, it’s gonna have to wait,” Rose said. “I need to think for a moment.” 

“Oh,” Neville said. “Okay.” 

Neville slowly trudged up the stairs to his room. He fought to hold back tears, although he didn’t know why. He had finally mustered the courage to ask Rose to teach him how to fight, but it was too late. She didn’t have time for him anymore. 

Rose watched Neville leave, then looked around the common room. No one was around, and nothing was tripping her _blindsight_ , not even Crookshanks or Scabbers. 

Rose pulled off her glove and stared at the rune on her hand. If she hadn’t known better, she’d have thought it was just a drawing. It seemed so ordinary for something that contained the power to read her thoughts. 

<I need to find out how that works,> she told Reflectesalon. <It shouldn’t be able to do that.> She replaced her glove, then collapsed on the couch. 

<Do you have a plan?> Reflectesalon asked. 

<Do I look like Sk’lar? Of course, I haven’t!>

<Sally wants the Cup, so we find it and give it to him so this can all be over.>

<If I go out, I leave my friends unprotected. I don’t want to risk something happening to them while I’m gone.>

<Then your friends must be defended.>

<Alright, so I’ll teach them to defend themselves.>

<Why not ask Professor Dumbledore to keep an eye on them?>

<He won’t help us!>

<Then what about one of the _other_ professors? >

<I don’t need their help! They’ve done nothing to stop the Dementors!>

<Professor Lupin–>

<No!>

Rose sat in silence until she was certain Reflectesalon wasn’t about to interrupt her thoughts, then ran through her friends and their skill sets. 

Hermione was clever, and could craft a spell to save her, even if she didn’t have her wand. She just needed to work on her reflexes and ability to think under pressure. 

Sally-Anne was getting better with the Shield Rune, but she could still use some basic training. Ginny was the same, but with fire instead of a Shield Rune. 

Ron was good with strategy and summoning. If he could move his friends and enemies around the battlefield half as well as Sk’lar, Ron would be fine. 

Harry didn’t have much at the moment beyond his reflexes, but he had the makings of a sniper. His invisibility cloak, prowess in the air, and eye for detail all fit this perfectly. 

Luna liked to draw, and her mum was an expert in runes. Rose didn’t know much about runes other what she’d learned in class, but if there were more runes like the Shield Rune, then there had to be something there. 

What about Neville? He wasn’t good with any sort of magic, but he had used a longsword as a ranged weapon while taking serious penalties. He really seemed to like Herbology, which might lend itself well to support physical combat. 

That meant most of her friends were set except for Luna and Neville. It sounded like runes took a lot of preparation, so Luna would need something to quickly carve runes into any material. 

Rose flipped through her notebook for the name of a specific item. A set of _marvelous pigments_ could create permanent items out of two-dimensional drawings, even if the permanent object wasn’t three-dimensional, such as a crack or carving in a wall. Rose just had to create a bunch of them for Luna to use, and something to increase Luna’s drawing ability. That way, she would be able to draw objects quickly, rather than taking 10 minutes to draw a single rune in a wall. 

Neville was also easy. It would just be a matter of crafting him a sword. 

<Not quite,> Reflectesalon pathed. <We don’t know what kind of sword the Sword of Gryffindor is. Without knowing that, you will just be guessing.>

<Right. Alright, so we need to find it and get it.>

Rose thought about that. She couldn’t just use _discern location_ to find it, since she’d never held it. She had _seen_ it when cutting off the Basilisk’s head to show to Fudge, but Professor McGonagall confiscated it before Rose had a chance to loot it off the body. 

After a quick _locate object_ spell, she found that it resided in Professor Dumbledore’s office. 

“Easy,” Rose muttered. 

Rose used _dimension door_ and appeared inside Professor Dumbledore’s office. Fawkes shrieked the moment she appeared. 

“ _It’s alright, Fawkes,_ ” Rose said. “ _I’m not breaking anything this time._ ” 

Rose ignored Fawkes’s distress and turned to the part of the room where she’d sensed the sword. 

Instead of the sword mounted on the wall, as Rose had hoped to find it, there was a cabinet full of drawers. 

“That’s not helping,” she said. 

She tried one of them and found that it was locked. A few seconds later, she found that they were _all_ locked. 

<Blindsight!>

Rose sensed someone approaching and returned to Gryffindor Tower before she was caught. When she arrived, she found something she wasn’t expecting. 

* * *

“She’s gone!” Fred whispered. 

Fred and George ran into the common room and spread a piece of parchment out on the floor. 

“ _I solemnly swear that I am up to no good,_ ” Fred said, holding his wand to the parchment. 

As with every other time he’d used it, words appeared on the parchment. 

_Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs_

_Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers_

_are proud to present_

_THE MARAUDER’S MAP_

The words faded and a map formed, decorated with hundreds of dots. 

“Alright, so–” Fred started. 

“What is it?” George asked. 

He followed Fred’s gaze to the spot on the map labeled “Gryffindor Common Room”, and saw three dots: Two labeled “Fred and George Weasley”, and one labeled “Rose Peta-Lorrum”. 

They spun around and found Rose behind them. 

“Don’t let me stop you,” she said. “Please, continue.” She walked around the map and sat down. “So this is your super secret map. Is this how you found me the other day?” 

“You can’t tell anyone we’ve got this,” Fred said. “Not even Lee knows about it.” 

“Who?” Rose asked. 

“Lee Jordan, our best friend,” George said. 

“Not ringing any bells,” Rose replied. “You sure they exist?” 

“He’s the announcer at the Quidditch matches!” George exclaimed. 

“There’s an announcer at the Quidditch match?!” 

“ _Matches_ ,” Fred corrected. “Remember, there are six matches every year?” 

Rose frowned, then slowly shook her head. “That doesn’t sound right. I only remember one match against Slytherin.” 

The boys found themselves at a loss for words. 

“If it’s so important,” Rose said, “then I’ll make you a deal: you help me once, and I won’t tell anyone.” 

The boys exchanged glances. 

“Help you how?” George asked. 

“I’m stealing the Sword of Gryffindor from Professor Dumbledore,” Rose replied. 

“Why?” George asked. 

“Because it’s _kethé_ , and I want it, and it’ll be fun to take it.” 

“You’re talking about _stealing_ something,” Fred said. “We eavesdrop, play pranks, make Percykins yell at us, but we don’t _steal_.” 

“Well, there was that _one_ time,” George said. 

“Sure, but that wasn’t horrible.” 

“We gave it back.” 

“Exactly. We’re pranksters, not criminals.” 

“Oh good, then I can burn the map,” Rose said. “You don’t need it, after all. You’re both just _pranksters_.” 

Fred and George exchanged looks again. Neither wanted to give up the map, but getting caught stealing could actually get them expelled. 

“What do you need?” Fred asked. 

“I need you to tell me when Dumbledore’s out of his office,” Rose said. “When and how often.” 

“He’s been there a lot this year,” George said. “Fred?” 

“He always leaves for the Quidditch matches and for meals.” 

“He also holds Alchemy seminars, but that’s too far off,” Rose said. “When’s the next of your ‘Quidditch matches’?” 

“End of the month is the match between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw,” George said. 

“That’s too far off,” Rose said. 

“If you know where it is, just pop in and take it like you always do,” George said. 

“It’s not that easy this time,” Rose said. “It’s in a cabinet with 20 drawers. They’re all locked, so I’ll have to go through them all. I can’t just go when he’s asleep, otherwise Fawkes will start screeching and wake him up.” 

The boys looked at one another, then at Rose. 

“We’ll need time to think about it.” 

“You’ve got until after lunch,” Rose replied. She looked around on the map, then pointed to a corridor on the seventh floor. “Meet me there after lunch if you agree to help.” She pointed to McGonagall’s office. “If not, I’ll send Hermione there to talk to McGonagall. She won’t believe me, but she’ll believe Hermione.” 

With that, Rose stood up and left the common room. 

* * *

The Twins arrived on the seventh floor just after lunch, as per Rose’s orders. 

They found Rose pacing back and forth along the corridor. 

“What are–” George began, but stopped when he saw a door forming on the wall. 

“What?” they both asked. 

“Come along, boys,” she said, opening the door that appeared. 

Inside they found a miniature version of the Gryffindor common room, except all the gold was replaced with black, and the lion pillows had roses on them instead of lions. 

“Welcome to the Room of Requirement!” Rose exclaimed. “Walk past the entrance three times, repeating the thought ‘I need something’, and whatever you ask for will appear. For instance, this was created from the request ‘I need somewhere to talk’.” 

The boys looked around the room, marveling at the wonder about which they had never known. 

“This isn’t on the map, Fred,” George muttered. 

“I know,” Fred said. “They must never have found it.” 

“Who’s they?” 

“The Marauders,” George replied. “The ones who made the map.” 

“Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs,” Fred said. 

“I no longer care,” Rose said. “When does the Old Man leave his office for more than an hour?” 

“Meals, I suppose,” George said. 

Rose tilted her head and stared at the ceiling. 

The boys took turns glancing at the door. Neither was comfortable being there with Rose when she was acting the way she was. 

“Good,” Rose said. “I’m skipping dinner tonight. Warn me if he leaves early.” 

“How?” Fred asked. 

“I’ll tell you later.” 

“What’s this all about?” George asked. “Why do you need us for this?” 

Rose sighed. 

“I’ve got a plan to remove the Dementors, but first I need the Sword of Gryffindor.” 

“Why?” 

“Not telling,” Rose said. “This is getting out of hand. I give my friends a few months tops until they start shouting at one another. No one even wants to go to Hogsmeade because we heard there were Dementors at the gate. 

“Tell me about it,” Fred muttered. 

“The Dementors searched our carriage the first trip this year,” George said. “Worst Hogsmeade trip ever.” 

“We were miserable the rest of the time,” Fred said. “It’s as if no one realizes that it’s still bad even after the Dementors are gone.” 

“I’ll fix it,” Rose said. “I can fix anything. I just need some help with this one.” 

The trio remained silent for a few minutes. Each of them had Dementors on the mind, but none of them wanted to talk about it. 

Rose glanced over at the open map, and noticed a dot on the move. 

“Hermione?” Rose asked, looking at her dot quickly leaving the library. “Something’s wrong!” 

“Looks like Alicia’s on it,” Fred said idly, seeing Alicia Spinnet’s dot running after Hermione’s. 

“Doesn’t matter,” Rose said, standing up. “So am I.” 

Rose vanished, leaving the boys alone in the Room of Requirement. 

* * *

Rose appeared in a corridor not too far from the library, and picked up Hermione on her _blindsight_. 

Hermione was on the ground, her legs drawn to her chest. Her hair covered her, but Rose knew the sounds of crying when she heard them. 

“Hermione, it’s me,” Rose said softly. 

“Rose?” Hermione asked. “How?” 

“The same way you found me a month ago,” Rose replied, sitting down next to her best friend. 

Rose put her arm around Hermione and pulled her close. 

“It’s alright,” Rose said softly as Hermione continued to cry. 

“Hermione!” 

Rose looked up and saw Alicia running towards them. 

“Peta-Lorrum?” she asked. “How did–?” 

“Not important,” Rose replied. “What happened?” 

“That b–” Alicia began, but stopped herself when she remembered there were two children with her. “Gamp happened.” 

“What’d she do?” Rose asked in a low voice. 

“Granger’s being brilliant, just like always, and Gamp can’t comprehend that someone that’s not in Ravenclaw is better than her at something. She flat out accused Granger of cheating, then said that Professor Vector probably wrote most of the stuff Granger published. After we stood up for her, Gamp goes on to say that all of Granger’s friends must only like her because she helps them cheat, since… erm…” 

“‘Since no one would like a girl who looks like _that_!’” Hermione sobbed. 

Someone tripped Rose’s _blindsight_ , and _Serendipity_ was in her hand and aimed before Rose saw who it was. 

“I come in peace,” Cedric said, raising his hands. “I promise.” 

Rose pulled her goggles over her eyes to verify that it was in fact Cedric, then lowered _Serendipity_. 

“Hermione, it’s alright,” Cedric said, crouching in front of Hermione. “We know you aren’t cheating, and we _are_ your friends.” 

Hermione didn’t say anything at first. Her sobbing eased up, then she said, “It’s not that.” She picked up her head. “It’s that people have _always_ teased me about my hair or my teeth. I… It made me feel like such a freak when I was a kid.” 

“It’s alright, Brain,” Rose said. “Everyone’s having a tough time this year.” 

“Hogsmeade trips are the worst,” Alicia muttered, sitting down beside Hermione. 

“Less and less people are going because they don’t want to pass through the gates,” Cedric said. “It used to be fun.” 

“I remember feeling like a grownup for the first time when I went,” Alicia said. After a moment, she quickly added, “Don’t tell anyone I said that.” 

“A lot of people feel like that,” Cedric said. “It’s a chance to go out and explore a town without teachers telling you what to do.” 

“I haven’t gone,” Hermione mumbled. 

“What?!” Alicia exclaimed. “Why not?” 

“Dementors,” Rose growled. 

“I can’t stand to go past them,” Hermione mumbled. “They went near us last month during Care for Magical Creatures, and Professor Hagrid dismissed class there and then to get us away from them.” 

“You should’ve been on the Pitch yesterday,” Alicia said. “Every little mistake I made suddenly felt awful, like Wood was gonna kick me off the team, and the whole house was gonna hate me for it.” 

“Dad said people at the Ministry are starting to question Fudge’s decision to send them,” Cedric said. “He said even Mr. Malfoy isn’t siding with Fudge anymore.” 

Rose opened her mouth to insult Professor Dumbledore, but Reflectesalon caught her. 

<He’s made one mistake thus far, Rose. That doesn’t mean you should insult him. Stealing the Sword of Gryffindor from him will be enough.>

“How’d your meeting with Professor Dumbledore go, Rose?” Hermione asked, realizing that she hadn’t received an actual answer from the girl. 

“It could’ve gone better,” Rose said. 

“When’d you see Professor Dumbledore?” Cedric asked. 

“Yesterday after the match,” Rose replied. “I wanted to… voice my concerns about the Dementors.” 

“And he let you into his office for that?” Alicia asked. 

“No,” Rose said. 

“She probably just _dim doored_ inside like she always does,” Hermione said. 

“Not exactly.” 

In spite of everything, Hermione had the familiar feeling of a parent with a troublesome child. 

“What’d you do?” 

“Before I say anything, I was having a _really_ bad day.” 

“You smashed the gargoyle, didn’t you?” Hermione asked. 

“And tore the door off the wall,” Rose said quietly. 

“What?!” Cedric and Alicia exclaimed. 

“How did you get away with _that_?” Alicia asked. 

“I didn’t, he just hasn’t punished me yet,” Rose said. “I’m sure he will after the whole Dementor issue is sorted. I’m difficult to punish since detention, extra work, and deducting points don’t work on me.” 

“Seriously?” Cedric asked. 

“I don’t sleep, so it’s not like they’re taking away from my ‘me’ time with detentions, and extra work gives me something to do in the eight hours during which I’m otherwise bored.” 

“What about house points?” Alicia asked, concerned that one of her housemates was apathetic about winning the House Cup. 

“Even if I cared about an arbitrary prize at the end of the year, Professor Dumbledore will just give me enough points for fixing the year’s problems to make up for whatever I lose.” 

With her free hand, Rose patted herself on the head. 

“Did you just pat yourself on the head?” Alicia asked. 

“She does that when she uses ‘big’ words,” Hermione explained. “It’s a long story.” 

“What about Gamp?” Alicia asked. “What do we do about her?” 

Rose raised her hand. 

“Erm… Peta-Lorrum?” Alicia said. 

“Set her on fire!” Rose exclaimed, her set-something-on-fire grin lighting up her face. 

“That’s awful!” Cedric exclaimed. 

“Why does she look so happy?” Alicia asked. 

“No, Rose,” Hermione said. 

“But Hermione! I wanna set her on fire!” 

“If we hurt her, we’re no better than _she_ is,” Cedric said. 

Rose’s grin was replaced by a pout. 

“Bad as Carolina,” she grumbled. 

“She can’t go to Professor Vector with a claim like that,” Cedric said. “No way she believes Rebecca. Rebecca can’t handle the fact that Professor Vector likes you better than her, so she’s trying to cut you down so she doesn’t have to deal with you.” 

“Fine, so we go tell Professor Vector what happened ourselves,” Alicia said. “Gamp will be out of the class by tomorrow.” 

Cedric shook his head. “That _still_ won’t fix the problem, it’ll just make her angry at _us_ too. She’s just afraid that Hermione’s going to make her look bad.” 

“She’s afraid of me, so she wants me to be afraid of her,” Hermione said. 

“The only way to conquer it is to not be afraid,” Rose said. 

Alicia and Cedric both stared at Rose, and both saw something completely unexpected. She wasn’t her normal, hyperactive self for a moment. Instead, she was relaxed, with a small smile on her face. 

“You told me that not long after I met you,” Hermione said. “Except that time it was Malfoy making me feel like this. What happened to me?” 

“When those Dementors reached the Pitch yesterday, you must’ve felt that again,” Cedric said. “Rebecca just brought it back up to the surface.” 

“I guess so,” Hermione said. “Everything’s been so awful lately.” 

“Don’t worry, Hermione,” Rose said. “I’ll fix it. I can fix anything!” 

“Why do _you_ have to fix, Peta-Lorrum?” Alicia asked. 

“I learned a long time ago that if you want something fixed, you’ve gotta do it yourself, because no one’s going to do it for you.” 

“That doesn’t mean you’ve got to do it alone,” Cedric said. “If there’s anything I can do to help either of you girls, just let me know.” 

An idea began to form in Rose’s mind. She couldn’t get Professor Dumbledore out of his office for long, but he left for meals, and he didn’t _immediately_ return. 

“I’ve got an idea,” Rose said. “Professor Dumbledore isn’t always at lunch, but he’s always at dinner. After dinner is over, can you delay him?” 

“Why do you need Professor Dumbledore delayed?” Cedric asked. 

“I can’t explain,” Rose said. “You’ve got to trust me. Any time you can get me will help.” 

Cedric considered it for a moment. He didn’t know Rose well, but he thought he knew Hermione well. Hermione was a good person, and Rose was her best friend. 

“Will it get rid of the Dementors?” he asked. 

“It’s step one of… four in getting rid of the Dementors. Maybe five.” 

“Alright, I’ll see what I can do,” Cedric said. 

“Thank you,” Rose said. 

“Ask him questions about Alchemy,” Hermione suggested. “He likes those.” 

“I guess I’ll go re-read some Alchemy texts,” Cedric said. “Hermione, are you feeling better?” 

Hermione looked at Rose, then Cedric, then Alicia. They were all there to help her. She hardly knew Cedric or Alicia, but they were somehow her friends. 

“I am now,” she said. “Thank you, everyone.” She wiped the tears away from her eyes one more time. “I’ll be okay now.” 

Rose beamed, then hugged Hermione. 

“I love you too, Rose,” Hermione said, patting her friend’s arms. “You can stop now.” 

“I’ve got to get going,” Alicia said. “Angie wants to get a head start on our Transfiguration homework.” 

“Thanks, Alicia,” Hermione said. 

“No problem, Granger.” 

She started to walk off, then turned back. 

“Granger, if your hair’s really bothering you, Angie’s pretty good with hair.” 

“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.” 

Cedric stood up, then offered Hermione his hand. She took it, allowing Rose and Cedric to help her to her feet. 

“I’m glad you’re alright, Hermione,” Cedric said, hugging her for just a moment. 

In that moment, she felt completely at ease, as if all of her problems were over. Cedric and Rose would stop Malfoy, Gamp, and even the Dementors from harming her. 

“I’m going to get started on research,” Cedric said. “See you girls later.” 

“See you,” Hermione said, her face turning slightly pink. 

“Bye!” Rose called. 

Hermione looked over at her friend, and saw a huge grin on her face. Rose was also bouncing on her heels. 

“What’s that look?” Hermione asked. 

“Nothing,” Rose said. She stopped bouncing for a moment. 

“Did you mean what you said to Cedric?” Hermione asked. 

“Step one is stealing the Sword of Gryffindor from Professor Dumbledore’s office,” Rose said. 

“What?!” 

“Step two is training you lot to defend yourselves, and Neville needs the sword for that. Step three is leaving the castle to find something that will drop the ward, but I can’t leave you lot undefended. Step four is having my family tell me how to fix this, and step five is fixing it.” 

Hermione took a moment to process everything her friend said. 

“Alright,” Hermione said. “What can _I_ do to help?” 

“Go with Cedric, help him brush up on Alchemy,” Rose said. “You don’t mind spending a lot of time alone with him seeing how amazing you are, do you?” 

“What?” Hermione asked. “Wait, you don’t think… I mean, I don’t… What?!” 

“Wow, you are _just_ like Sk’lar,” Rose said, laughing. “His brain stops working the second I say the words ‘love’ and ‘Carolina’ in the same sentence.” 

“I’m not in love with Cedric!” hissed Hermione. 

“Yes you are,” Rose replied, still laughing. 

“Do you _have_ to do that?” Hermione asked. 

Rose tilted her head, apparently thinking about the answer for nearly a minute. 

“Yeah,” she said finally, nodding her head. 

Hermione sighed and rubbed her forehead. 

“I hate you sometimes,” Hermione said. 

“But I’m so adorable!” Rose exclaimed, beaming. 

Without dignifying Rose, Hermione ran to catch up with Cedric. 

* * *

After Rose used _telepathic bond_ on the Twins, she _dim doored_ to Professor Dumbledore’s after they gave her the all clear. 

With a new _wand of knock_ , Rose systematically went through each drawer in the cabinet. Her efforts were impeded by the various chests within each drawer. 

“ _Who does this?!_ ” Rose shouted after the sixth chest. “ _Why?!_ ” 

She opened chest after chest, many of which contained drawers or small cabinets inside them. 

<Dinner’s almost finished,> George informed her when she was on the 13th drawer. <You finished yet?>

<Getting there!> Rose replied. <Only seven of these _gromphun_ things left! >

She opened another drawer, then another chest, then another three drawers. 

“No,” she said. “No, and no.” 

She shoved the chest back inside the drawer, then opened the next one. 

<Dumbledore’s leaving! Looks like Hermione’s going to catch him.>

Downstairs, Cedric and Hermione intercepted Professor Dumbledore on his way out of the Great Hall. 

“Professor Dumbledore!” Cedric exclaimed. 

“Mr. Diggory, Ms. Granger, how may I help you?” 

“We were working on Arithmancy in the library, and got on the topic of Alchemy,” Hermione said. 

“That’s an interesting transition,” Professor Dumbledore said. 

“I asked her about the Philosopher’s Stone,” Cedric said. 

<Rose, whatever you’re doing, finish up,> Hermione told her. 

<Working on it!> Rose replied after replacing the chest. “Is it _really_ gonna be the last one?! How am I _that_ unlucky?!” 

She pulled out another two, but still no sword. 

<You’re out of time,> Hermione told her. <He’s on his way up.>

Rose pulled out another drawer, waved the wand, then threw it across the room. 

“Of course it’s out of charges!” she hissed, pulling _Serendipity_ and _power surging_ her. “Come on!” 

Rose heard the sound of the gargoyle moving. 

“Two more,” Rose said when that one turned up nothing. “Come on! _Knock!_ ” 

She slid the drawer open to reveal the Sword of Gryffindor. 

“Finally!” she exclaimed. 

“ _Discern Location – Sword of Gryffindor._ ” 

Rose wasn’t taking any chances on this being a fake, so she verified that not only did the spell succeed, but that it’s location was in her hand after putting the case back in the drawer. 

Rose quickly returned everything to the way it was, then stashed the Sword of Gryffindor in her picnic basket as the door opened. She _dim doored_ to the Room of Requirement, then got to work on the next part of her plan. 

* * *

Albus stroked Fawkes to calm him down, then looked around his office. That was the second time Fawkes had done that in as many days, both times while Albus wasn’t in his office. That implied someone was snooping around, but who? 

A search of his office turned up a wand. It didn’t do anything when Albus tried to use it, and he didn’t see any runes on it as he would any other wand. That likely meant it belonged to one person in particular. 

“Rose.” 

* * *

Wednesday morning, she grabbed Neville on his way to breakfast and hauled him aside into an empty classroom. 

“Neville, there was something you were trying to ask me Saturday night, and I blew you off,” Rose said. “I’m sorry. What did you want to ask?” 

“I… I want to learn how to fight!” 

Rose grinned, then reached into her picnic basket. 

“Timid Toad, you’ll be brave yet,” Rose said, handing him a pair of black and green gloves. “These are for you. They’re called _gloves of the master strategist_. They let you store a single item in them, although there’s already one there, and let you use _true strike_ once per day.” 

“What’s _true strike_?” Neville asked. 

“It gives you +20 to hit,” Rose replied. 

“Does that mean… erm… hit something else? Like punching it?” 

“Put the gloves on, then imagine they’re giving you something,” Rose said. 

Neville did as he was told. The second he imagined something coming out of the gloves, a sword materialized before him. 

“Ah!” Neville shouted, dropping the sword on the floor. 

“This is what you’re gonna learn to use,” Rose said, picking the sword up and handing it back to him. “You were _amazing_ with it, Neville. Not even Shadow could’ve done what you did when she first started out.” 

Neville didn’t always keep up with Rose, but he knew Shadow was her best friend from back home. Shadow was amazing at everything, according to Rose. 

“I… Thanks, Rose.” 

“Keep up the good work, Toad,” Rose said. “Keep looking up plants, too. You never know when one of those will come in handy.” 

“Erm… Rose,” Neville said. “There’s…” Neville took a deep breath. “There’s one I think you’ll like.” 

“Go for it!” Rose replied. 

“I read about this plant that was just discovered,” he said. “There was this island that used to be infested with basilisks, but now they’re clearing them out. There are a lot of plants that were allowed to grow wild, and a bunch of them have properties they’ve never seen before. Like this one that secretes oil that dragons can’t stand the smell of. They actually run away from it.” He blushed. “I… I thought you’d like that, since you don’t like dragons.” 

Rose smiled, then hugged Neville. 

“Thanks, Toad.” 


	13. Combat Practice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which people learn how to fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** No amount of fighting can take Harry Potter away from J.K. Rowling.

After Hermione was finished with her Arithmancy lesson, Rose assembled her team in an empty classroom. The eight of them pulled some desks together and sat in a circle. 

“Welcome to the first lesson of combat training,” Rose announced. 

“What?” Ron asked. 

“Rule One: Don’t die,” Rose said. “Most important rule of fighting.” 

“What?” Ron asked again. 

“I need to leave the castle soon, and I need to make sure you lot can fend for yourselves before I do. Anyone know why?” 

With most of her “students” still confused as to what was happening, no one was sure how to respond. 

Ginny slowly raised her hand. 

“Firecracker?” 

“Because last time you left us, a basilisk attacked?” 

“Precisely,” Rose said. “Good work.” 

“So you’re going to teach us to fight?” Ron asked. 

“Yup!” Rose exclaimed. 

“How’s that gonna work?” Ron asked. 

“Since you asked, I’ll start with you,” Rose said. “Cohort, _you_ are brilliant with summoning, and you think like my brother. So, with you, I’d say you’ll want to do battlefield control. That means moving people around the field, like it’s a big game of chess. Throw down some fog, separating opponents, and grouping allies together. Understand?” 

Ron nodded, although obviously still didn’t understand what was going on. 

“Scarface, you’ve got all the makings of a sniper. You’ve got good senses, a means of constant _invisibility_ , and you’re good in the air. You’re good at disarming opponents, and that’s _always_ going to be helpful.” 

“Do you _have_ to keep calling me Scarface?” he asked. 

“Yup,” Rose replied, turning to Ginny. “ _Dreda drisi gil_.” 

“ _Dreda drisi gil_ ,” Ginny repeated, grinning. 

“Timid Toad, you’ve got the Sword of Gryffindor–” 

“What?!” Ron shouted. 

“–so I’ll teach you how to use it without cutting off your hand.” 

“Let me guess: You did that once,” Hermione said. 

“Not important,” Rose replied. “Before anyone starts complaining that I’m only giving Toad things because I like him best, or that I give Brain equipment because she’s pretty, remember that I am an Artificer. I will be showering _everyone_ with equipment, because WBL is a conspiracy started by poor people that want better equipment.” 

There were some hesitant nods from her new trainees, and Ginny raised her hand. 

“Wealth by level,” Hermione said. 

Ginny lowered her hand, just as Sally-Anne raised her hand. 

“Yes, Princess?” 

“Are you going to keep using those names?” 

“That’s my plan!” 

Rose beamed, then raised her hand to Sally-Anne. A blast of flame was unleashed on the mostly unsuspecting third-year. 

“ _Strada!_ ” Sally-Anne shouted, throwing up a shield to block the blast. 

“Still got it,” Rose said. “Good work, Princess.” 

“Not this again,” Sally-Anne whined, burying her face in her hands. 

“Oh, that again,” Rose said. “I’m not always going to announce when I attack you. Why is that, Princess?” 

“Because life is unfair,” she mumbled into her hands. 

“Exactly. We all know that by now, but I’m going to guarantee that you don’t forget it. On a related note, can that make a wall?” 

Sally-Anne looked up, then looked at her left hand. 

“Maybe?” 

“It can, but you’ve got to sweep your hand across to make it,” Luna said. “There’s not a lot of point to it unless there’s a lot of people, since it takes more out of you than the disc does. Also, I forget the incantation.” 

Except for Rose, everyone turned to stare at Luna in shock. Rose simply beamed at her. 

“How do you know that?” Harry asked. 

“Mum told me,” Luna replied. “She invented the Shield Rune. She always liked it more than the Blast Rune, especially since that one takes so much energy to use, and doesn’t give anything back.” 

Sally-Anne had forgotten that Luna’s mum was Pandora Kapisa. Luna had to know all about the Shield Rune, maybe even more than Professor Babbling. Sally-Anne wanted to ask her about it, but it might upset Luna to talk about her mum so much. 

“Is that why you know so much about runes?” Ginny asked. 

“Mum taught me what she could. Mum often gave me rune puzzles when she and Dad had to work.” 

“What’s a rune puzzle?” Neville asked, hoping that he wasn’t the only one that didn’t know. 

“You can get different effects by combining different runes,” Hermione explained. “A rune puzzle is where there’s a rune missing, and you’ve got to figure out which rune to put to complete the rune collection and create a certain effect.” 

“Those are fun!” Rose exclaimed. 

Now her audience turned to stare at _her_. 

“There’s always one in the Quibbler.” 

“Mum used to make them,” Luna said. “Then I did after…” 

An awkward silence fell over the room. 

“After she couldn’t,” Sally-Anne said. 

“After she couldn’t,” Luna repeated. 

“What I’m hearing out of all this, Moon, is that you’re good with runes,” Rose said, pulling a small box out of her picnic basket. “Catch.” 

Luna missed the box, but Ginny caught it before it hit the floor. 

“Those are _mystic pigments_ ,” Rose explained. “When you draw something with them, it becomes real.” 

“It looks like chalk,” Ron said, looking at the contents of the box as Luna opened it. 

“Moon likes to draw with chalk, and it shows up better on stone than paint. It’s also easier to use.” 

“Thank you, Rose,” Luna said. 

“You’re welcome!” 

Ginny tried to count out everyone in her head. They had covered her, Ron, Luna, Neville, Harry, Sally-Anne, so that just left… 

“What about Hermione?” Ginny asked. 

“Wandless casting,” Hermione said. “I’ve been working on it all last month, but I’m still not far with it.” 

“Not just that,” Rose said. “I was thinking that you reminded me of someone I knew, then I thought ‘Abjuration!’” 

“What’s Abjuration?” Harry asked. 

“Primarily defensive magic, but it also involves _dispel magic_ and everyone’s least favorite spell, _antimagic circle_!” 

“So you think I can dispel people?” Hermione asked. 

“Not people, _spells_. If you can determine the type of spell being cast, you must be able to counterspell it. That’s a thing here, right?” 

“Yeah, but–” 

“That’s all I need to know,” Rose said. “Wait, what about _arcane sight_?” 

“What’s _that_?” Ginny asked. 

“It allows me to see the magic auras of active spells and magic items.” 

“I’m not sure there’s something like that here, but it would be interesting to find out,” Hermione said. “In theory, you might be able to replicate it by using your eyes as the focal point of an analysis charm.” 

Rose grinned, but this one was a little unnerving. 

“What about _reciprocal gyre_?” Without waiting for someone to ask, Rose said, “Fourth-level spell that turns the magical energies of all active spells on the target against them.” 

“Personal enchantments aren’t as common here as they are in your world, but it is possible to pick apart different enchantments on an object. Once you’ve got control of them, you could throw the energy back at the original target, although it might not be as effective. Before you ask, I have no idea how to do _any_ of that.” 

That didn’t stop Rose from grinning. 

“So here’s how this is going to work,” Rose said. “Having a bunch of people in the Room of Requirement at once seems like it’d defeat the purpose of it, so I’m going to work with one person at a time. If you don’t know what that is, you’ll find out soon.” 

“Why?” Ron asked. 

“Cos if I don’t, no one will,” Rose said. 

“Can’t argue with that,” Harry muttered. 

“Before we go today, I’m going to give you all inherent bonuses for your primary stats.” 

“She means she’s going to make us better at what she thinks we should be doing,” Hermione translated. 

“Okay,” Neville said. “I’ll go first.” 

Starting with Neville, Rose used _Serendipity_ over and over again to give them each a +4 inherent bonus to a single stat. She gave Ginny and Harry a +4 to Dexterity, Neville +4 to strength, Luna and Ron Intelligence, and Sally-Anne Charisma. The only one she passed was Hermione. 

“No one’s using Wisdom,” Rose said. “Brain!” 

“Don’t even think about it Rose,” Hermione said. “I’ll probably have an existential crisis if you try.” 

“That’s not a real word!” 

“Not so loud,” Ron said, holding his head. 

“My head feels funny,” Luna said, stumbling around the room like an inebriated sailor. 

Sally-Anne felt no different, and Neville had little trouble with his new strength. Ginny and Harry were twitchy for the next few minutes, and Hermione watched Ron and Luna suffer through the effects of instantly enhanced Intelligence. 

“Ronald,” Hermione said. “What’s 17 × 22?” 

“Erm… 374,” he mumbled after a second. His eyes grew wide as the full weight of what he’d just done dawned on him. He wasn’t even good at maths. How had he done that so quickly? 

“Welcome to my world,” Hermione said. “I guess it was nice beating you at chess while it lasted. Come on. A chess match sounds brilliant right now.” 

Ron slowly climbed to his feet, and followed Hermione out of the classroom. Their friends followed suit as each one recovered. 

* * *

“Sally-Anne, are you doing something with your hair?” Alex asked at lunch. 

“No, why?” Sally-Anne asked. 

“I’m not sure what it is, but you seem different. Good different.” 

“Thanks,” Sally-Anne said. She smiled warmly at the complement. 

“Definitely something different about you,” Alex said. “Whatever it is you’re doing, keep doing it.” 

“I will.” 

Sally-Anne wasn’t the only one with noticeable improvements. Harry and Ginny noticed theirs while practicing Quidditch. 

“Remember, the Snitch moves a lot faster than these,” Harry said as he tossed a few more balls at Ginny. 

She was better than he was expecting, although he knew one that would trip her up. It was the same thing Wood did to him his first time out. 

Harry tossed one of the balls below Ginny’s broom. He wanted to remind her just how hard it was to catch something _below_ your broom. 

To Harry’s surprise, Ginny wheeled around on her broom and hung upside down to catch the last ball. 

“Ha!” she exclaimed triumphantly. She swung her legs around and righted herself on her broom. 

Harry was at a loss for words. He’d never seen anyone _try_ what Ginny just did. He didn’t know how she hadn’t fallen off her broom. 

“How’d you do that?” 

“Promise you won’t tell anyone?” Ginny asked. 

“Promise.” 

“I’ve been sneaking out after dark for the past few years to practice flying,” Ginny said. “Not here, but at home. I never get the chance if I don’t. Mum always wants me doing chores, and the boys won’t let their kid sister play with them.” 

Harry had never seen Ginny like this. For nearly two years, anytime he tried to talk to her, she just squealed and ran off if she could. He had never been able to get anything else out of her. Now she was talking so much it was starting to annoy him. 

“I practiced that one a lot over the summer,” Ginny said, grinning. “I kept trying to do tricks that popped into my head. Nearly fell off my broom when Rose suggested it.” 

“Okay,” Harry said, no longer interested. 

“I guess she doesn’t sleep, so she went for a walk one night. She saw me practicing, and I was so startled I fell off my broom.” Ginny laughed. 

Harry gave an impatient laugh. He didn’t care about Ginny’s little story. Ginny was his friend, but she was also the person that might take away his place on the Quidditch team. Harry was angry at Wood for giving away his place so quickly, and angry at Ginny for not turning down the position. Didn’t she know it was _his_?! 

“She asked what would happen if I tried hanging upside down on my broom, so I tried.” Ginny started laughing again. “I… I was… Sorry.” Ginny stopped laughing for a moment. “I was lucky she was there to catch me. Merlin, would I have been in trouble then!” 

No matter how hard Harry tried to throw Ginny off her game during practice, he couldn’t do it. They weren’t practicing with the Golden Snitch, and he was sure that would catch her off guard, but anything else he tried didn’t work. How was she doing that? He had just as many enhancements from Rose as she did, so why was she so good? 

* * *

“Remember how I said we’re gonna need to do cut your hair?” Rose asked Hermione the next week. 

“Is today that day?” Hermione asked. 

Hermione had been dreading that conversation ever since Rebecca had mocked her for her looks. She felt like anything after that was just going to validate Rebecca’s and Draco’s mockery of her. Still, she didn’t want to deal with her hair forever. 

“Yup,” Rose said. “You need to have maneuverability, and that hair’s not gonna let you do that. Although, I could always animate it for you!” 

“Don’t you _dare_ animate my hair!” Hermione exclaimed. “Alicia and Alex both said Angelina could cut it, so I’m just going to talk to her.” 

“I can do it!” 

“Is _Crimson Thorn_ involved in that?” 

“Of course. That’s how I cut _my_ hair back when it still grew.” 

“Rose, I’d really rather trust it to someone who knows what they’re doing. My hair’s a nightmare. It’s thick, it’s messy, I can never get it straight or curly, it’s just this wavy pile of misery.” 

“I can cut clean through it with _Crimson Thorn_ , and I _won’t_ harm you,” Rose said. “I’ve handled finer targets than that.” 

Hermione thought for a moment. 

“Alright, you start it, and then I’ll have Angelina and Alicia finish it. Do you mind if they see _Crimson Thorn_?” 

“Not really. Most of the school knows I’ve got something with me. I’m sure they won’t mind.” 

* * *

“Why do you have that?!” Alicia and Angelina screamed as Rose unfolded _Crimson Thorn_. 

“That’s not important right now,” Rose said, holding Hermione’s hair. “Hold still.” 

Hermione held perfectly still, then felt someone tugging on her hair. In a second, the sensation vanished, and she felt lighter. 

“Done,” Rose said. 

“Wow,” Hermione said, turning around to see Rose holding most of her hair. 

Alicia and Angelina stared in shock at the girls. 

“You’re up!” Rose said, as _Crimson Thorn_ folded up and vanished back into her glove. “I’m adding this to my Hermione shrine!” 

Angelina stared at Rose, then shook her head and grabbed her supplies. 

“Not the first time I’ve handled hair this thick.” As she surveyed Hermione’s hair, she added, “Can you remove your hair clip?” 

“Right,” Hermione said sullenly. “How quickly can you work?” 

“Why?” 

“I’ve got you, Hermione,” Rose said. 

Rose carefully removed the _hair clip of intelligence_ , casting _divine enlightenment_ as she did. 

Hermione had been expecting Angelina to use a series of spells, but as it turned out, she went for the Muggle approach and used scissors. While Angelina worked on Hermione’s hair, the four girls chatted. Angelina explained that she was a halfblood, and her father was a Muggle hair stylist. She’d picked up a few things from him, and worked on the girls’ hair when they didn’t want to risk magic. 

After Rose mentioned Rebecca giving Hermione grief about her hair, Angelina suggested going to Professor Vector’s office before her next class. She reasoned that Rebecca wouldn’t want to try anything when a professor was within earshot. 

“Most Ravenclaws are like that,” Alicia said. “They’re all so obsessed about getting good marks that they won’t cross a teacher.” 

“What about Luna?” Rose asked. 

“Lovegood’s alright,” Alicia said. “Chang said Price doesn’t like her because she thinks someone like her doesn’t belong in Ravenclaw.” 

“Why not?” Hermione asked. 

“If you’re at the top of the class, you don’t want to be bumped down by anyone,” Rose said. “When you’re bumped down by someone that doesn’t take your work seriously, you get angry because you can’t figure how someone that tries half as hard as you is doing better.” 

“Sort of, but that’s not all of it,” Alicia said. “It’s that they think Lovegood ruins the… erm… what’s the word?” 

“The image of Ravenclaw?” Hermione offered. 

“Yeah.” 

“That’s a horrible way to think about it,” Hermione said. “The Sorting Hat said it puts the smartest people into Ravenclaw. It almost put me into Ravenclaw, but thought Gryffindor would fit better. Then there’s Rose; she’s cleverer than I am, she just doesn’t care what people think about her.” 

Rose beamed at this. 

“Ron’s another good example. He’s just as clever as I am, but he doesn’t care about academics.” 

“I heard he was doing good in his classes,” Angelina said as she continued to move around Hermione. “The Destructive Duo have been trying to figure out how he’s been cheating.” 

“He doesn’t cheat,” Rose said, apparently testing one of the beds to see how bouncy it was. “I made him a _bracelet of scholar’s touch_ , like Hermione’s got.” 

Angelina and Alicia exchanged looks, then turned to Hermione for an explanation. 

“ _Scholar’s touch_ is Rose’s name for a spell she knows that lets you read a book instantly just by touching it. Rose made bracelets for Ron and I our first year, and Ron uses his to memorize textbooks. You can just about memorize something if you read it three times, and Ron can read it _ten_ times in a minute.” 

Alicia turned to Rose. 

“I don’t suppose–” 

“I am no longer taking orders for crafts,” Rose said as if reciting something she’d said a hundred times. “Please try again at a later date.” 

Hermione stared at Rose. 

“That’s new,” she said. 

“I’m backed up on Snowy Time presents, and I don’t know that I’ll have them done in time.” 

“It’s halfway through November,” Hermione said. 

“And it’s taking me a while to work on one in particular.” 

Hermione decided against asking, not wanting to know what Rose had in store for them this year. Last year hadn’t been bad, but only because Rose decided it was too difficult to animate their knapsacks. 

“Alicia said you haven’t been to Hogsmeade yet,” Angelina said. “You girls should go. It’s a lot of fun.” 

“Dementors,” Hermione and Rose said. 

“Ugh, that Quidditch match was the worst,” Angelina said. 

“You should still give it a go,” Alicia said. “Christmas is always great, since they’ve got decorations all over the town. St. Valentine’s Day is the best, though. Madam Puddifoot’s always goes all out, and couples get a special discount.” 

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Hermione said. 

Angelina continued to work on Hermione’s hair, while Rose cast _divine enlightenment_ every two minutes so Hermione’s head wouldn’t feel murky while she did. 

“There you are,” Angelina said when she finished, handing Hermione a mirror. “All set.” 

Hermione looked at her hair. Angelina had thinned it out for her, and between her and Rose, it just reached her shoulders. 

“Thanks,” Hermione said as Rose handed her hair clip back to her. 

“Don’t mention it,” Angelina said. “Unfortunately, I don’t know any charms to straighten hair, if that’s what you want.” 

“I’ll survive,” Hermione said, running her hand through her hair. “Probably.” 

“You could just make it yourself,” Alicia said as she banished the scraps of hair on the floor. 

“I think she looks fine just the way she is,” Rose said. 

“Thanks, but some of us want to be able to run a brush through our hair,” Hermione said. 

“What’s a brush?” Rose asked. 

“ _Exactly._ ” 

“Keeping it thin isn’t a matter of magic, it’s just a matter of keeping up with it,” Angelina said as she put her things away. 

“You did great, Angelina,” Hermione said. “Thanks.” 

<Stand up,> Rose instructed her. 

Hermione obediently stood up, then figured out why Rose wanted her to do it then. She felt the effects of _divine enlightenment_ wear off, and immediately felt dizzy. 

“You alright, Granger?” Alicia asked. 

“Just stood up too fast,” Hermione said, sitting back down in the chair. 

“Your head might feel a little lighter now,” Alicia said, laughing. 

Hermione laughed, then stood back up again. She brushed her hair behind her ear, something she hadn’t been able to do in years. 

“Do I owe you anything?” Hermione asked. 

“Don’t worry about it,” Angelina said. “I do this all the time, and it’s not like there’s anything better to do around here.” 

Hermione began wondering what her friends would say when they saw her hair. She started worrying about what the other students would say. What if they started making fun of her for trying to fix her hair? 

“Don’t worry about it,” Rose said after Hermione expressed this later. 

Hermione kept worrying about it, despite Rose’s nonchalant attitude toward it. She suddenly found herself wanting to put a bag over her head. No one was around, but it already felt like people were staring at her. It’d be just like primary school, with everyone picking on her about anything she did. 

“If they give you grief about it, I’ll punch them in the throat,” Rose said as they reached the common room. 

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that it was empty. 

* * *

December approached, and a chill crept into the air. Still, practice continued. Rose worked with them throughout the week, making sure no two of them were ever near the Room of Requirement at the same time. 

“I’m surprised how thoroughly you thought this through, Rose,” Hermione said one day. 

“It’s what Shadow would do if she were here,” Rose replied. 

That particular day, Rose was sitting atop a table in the Room of Requirement. It was Hermione’s job to levitate the table without using her wand. It was a particularly dull lesson, but Rose wanted to know that Hermione could perform a Levitation Charm without her wand before forcing her to do it under stress. 

Rose had picked up on a problem with Hermione shortly after training had started. She was giving Hermione easy tasks for the day, to try to coerce Hermione into telling Rose what was wrong. 

“Is it about Cedric?” Rose asked. 

“No, Rose.” 

“Did someone laugh at your hair?” 

“No, Rose.” 

“Do I need to chat with Rebecca?” 

“I’m fine, Rose.” 

“What about Draco? I haven’t heard from him in a while.” 

“I said I’m fine!” Hermione snapped. “It’s hard to concentrate with you talking.” 

“Don’t worry. During a battle, people will be completely silent so you can concentrate. I’m sure if you ask nicely, they’ll even stop trying to kill you, just so you can concentrate.” 

Rose watched as her friend got angrier at every comment. Working with the others had taught Rose one thing: everyone was keeping to themselves. Something was bothering everyone, and even though Rose already knew what was wrong with most of them, she also knew the value of communication on the battlefield. 

Rose’s entire training plan was based on what she remembered of Alice training her, and stories from Shadow about Harold Strant training the Exalted. Unfortunately, there was a big difference in the Exalted’s training and Rose training her friends: the Exalted had all been adults. Despite Bowie’s refusal to act like one or the group’s naivety, each of them had been willing to listen when they’d learned. 

Sally-Anne was great; she knew the drill, so she was willing to listen. She remembered everything from their previous string of training sessions, and her reflexes were improving. Sally-Anne also had new uses for the Shield Rune, including throwing up the shield at a distance and creating a bubble to soften someone’s landing (Rose liked playing with that one). 

Ginny got bored quickly, but so did Rose. Rose figured Ginny needed to think creatively in order to find a way to use fire to solve her problems. Both girls were firm believers that the solution to any problem was to apply fire, and Rose was teaching Ginny how to apply fire correctly. Most of Rose’s training for Ginny revolved around her reflexes, so Rose often threw things at Ginny while she was supposedly spacing out. As it turned out, Ginny had been honing her reflexes her entire life dealing with Fred and George. 

Neville was possibly the best of them. He attentively listened to nearly everything she said, spacing out only once or twice. When Rose caught Neville not paying attention, he’d turn red and not miss a word Rose said for a week. Even though Rose wasn’t as good with a longsword as she was with a double-sword, they were making it work. It helped that Neville was left-handed like her. 

Luna wasn’t quite as attentive as Neville, but she was up there. Rose admitted to herself that she was going easy on Luna, but even then, Luna was great. They grabbed books on runes from the library, and Rose was considering making Luna a _bracelet of scholar’s touch_ like Hermione’s or Ron’s so she could learn faster. They did run into problems during combat, since drawing runes in a hurry wasn’t easy. Rose, being Rose, had a “brilliant and insightful” plan to fix that problem. 

It was the other three that were giving her problems. Harry hardly talked, although his aim was improving. Rose figured out that she could get Harry to respond by insulting or ignoring him. He also refused to accept that anyone would be able to hit him while was invisible, a delusion that Rose thought she dispelled with _glitterdust_. When that still didn’t convince Harry that people were smart enough to pick up on his footsteps or look for movements in the ground, Rose made a plan to coat the room in flour. 

Hermione and Rose ran through every spell they’d learned in the past two years and had Hermione perform them wandlessly. Rose gave special attention to any spells she thought would prove useful for defence, and drilled them more frequently than the others. Until a few weeks ago, just after Hermione had cut her hair, she’d had been alright. Rose knew what the problem was, but she wanted to hear Hermione say it first before fixing it. 

Then there was Ronald. Rose had grown frustrated with him almost immediately, because the boy refused to listen. He was worse than Harry when it came to arrogantly ignoring Rose. She worked out entire setups for him to test his ability to move objects around and keep his friends out of danger, but he couldn’t get one right. Like the others, Ron needed to understand that combat was a lot of judgement calls, but in his case, he needed to out think his opponent. There was a lot of pressure on Ron, but he refused to accept it. 

After every failure, Ron exploded at Rose for making them too difficult. He often accused her of singling him out, or treating the others better. In spite of this, Rose carried on training him, because if he didn’t learn, he would fall behind the others, and then he really would be worse at it. 

“I can’t do it today!” Hermione declared, throwing her arms up in exasperation. “I quit!” 

“That’s it, then?” Rose asked. 

“I’m done for the day, Rose.” 

“So if Cedric were to walk through that door, he’d see you quitting?” 

“For the last time, I–” 

“But would you really want him to see you giving up?” Rose asked. 

“Stop it!” Hermione shouted. “I–” 

Hermione was interrupted by the door opening. 

_If that’s Cedric, I’m going to kill her,_ Hermione thought. 

In the threshold was not Cedric, but Ron. He stormed inside the Room of Requirement, allowing the door to slam shut behind him. 

“Where is he?!” Ron demanded. 

“Who?” Rose asked. 

“Scabbers!” Ron shouted. “What did your stupid cat do with him?!” 

“Maybe he just got out again!” Hermione shouted back. “Crookshanks isn’t the only cat in the castle, Ronald!” 

“But he’s always watching Scabbers! Your bloody cat’s been trying to eat him since you got him!” 

“Maybe if you took better care of your rat, he wouldn’t always run off!” 

“So it’s my fault?” 

“Yes, it is! Don’t blame me because you can’t care for a single living thing other than yourself!” 

Hermione regretted the words the second they left her mouth. Ron had risked his life to save her, so she knew he cared, but she was so frustrated at everyone that she _didn’t_ care. 

Ron pulled his wand, but Hermione was ready for him. She held up her hand before Ron had a chance to act. 

“ _Expulsa!_ ” 

Ron’s wand flew out of his hand, but it didn’t go far. As it left his hand, Hermione caught a glimpse of the strap that held it to his wrist. Ron grabbed his wand again, and aimed it at Hermione’s feet. 

“ _Scotoro!_ ” 

Hermione was thrown back by Ron’s Scattering Hex, hitting the stone floor hard. 

“Brilliant, isn’t it?” Ron asked. “Got the idea from Colin’s camera. _I_ did. No one else; _me_. And look at that; it was good enough to beat you. I guess you’re not so clever after all, _Mudblood_.” 

Hermione couldn’t believe it; Ron was her friend. He didn’t always say or do smart things, but he was clever, and he wasn’t _that_ insensitive. Ron flipped out at Malfoy whenever the Slytherin called her “Mudblood”, so why was he using it? 

Hermione looked up, and for a second, it wasn’t Ron standing over her, but Draco Malfoy. For that second, she was back in first year, trembling in fear as he loomed over her after hitting her with a Leg-Locker Curse. She couldn’t run, and she was about to die. 

Hermione began to cry. Her head was murky and she couldn’t think straight, so she did the only thing of which she _could_ think. Hermione tripped over herself as she climbed to her feet, then started running. She hated herself for running away when things got bad, but she needed to clear her head, and she couldn’t do that there. She pushed past Ron, who looked ready for another round, then ran straight out of the Room of Requirement. 

Ron looked at Rose, who wasn’t mad, but wasn’t happy either. 

“She’ll be fine,” Ron said, more for himself than Rose. 

Rose continued to say nothing. 

“That’s what everyone keeps saying about me!” 

Still no response from Rose. 

“I’m not apologizing! I didn’t do anything wrong! I shouldn’t have to apologize!” 

“Your training is over,” Rose said. “You can leave.” 

“What?” Ron asked. 

“I’m done training you.” 

“Why? Just because I beat Hermione?” 

“No.” 

The table on which Rose sat was lifted into the air, then floated over to Ron. When it stopped, Rose was right next to his ear. 

“You’re just Scarface’s cohort, which makes you an NPC,” Rose whispered, “and I don’t train NPCs.” 

With that, Rose hopped off the table and left the Room of Requirement. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before anyone calls character derailment, there's a perfectly logical explanation for why Ron called Hermione a mudblood. And for why Rose didn't kill him on the spot.


	14. Demons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Sally-Anne has a mental breakdown, and Rose tells a story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** No matter the demons she possesses, J.K. Rowling continues to own Harry Potter.

“You know how the Patronus Charm can make a shield, right?” Sally-Anne asked Professor Babbling that afternoon. 

Sally-Anne enjoyed her lessons with Professor Babbling. They didn’t only focus on the Shield Rune, but on anything Sally-Anne wanted to discuss with the Ancient Runes Professor. Her mum likened it to having an academic adviser. Despite the name, you didn’t always talk about academics, you just talked. 

“I am aware,” Professor Babbling replied. 

“Is it possible to combine it with the Shield Rune?” 

Professor Babbling shook her head sadly. 

“Unfortunately, no. Without a doubt, it would’ve been useful, but Pandora was never able to integrate it.” 

“What’s that mean?” Sally-Anne asked, looking at her hand. 

“At first, only the Blast Rune existed. It was developed by a department in the Ministry of Magic called the Department of Mysteries. Their intention was to use it for warfare, although it didn’t work well. It took a lot of the user’s own energy, and with no way to restore the energy put into it, it was ultimately scrapped.” 

That brought a question that Sally-Anne had had before to the front of her mind. It had been popping into her head more often since she resumed training with Rose. 

“I’ve been meaning to ask about that.” 

“By all means, go ahead.” 

“Why does the Shield Rune tire me out when other spells don’t?” 

“As I’ve explained before, runes draw their power from the magical energy placed into them. When a casting rune is imprinted on a person, it’s charged there and then. Once you use it, it’s gone until you recharge it. Even runes that are carved into rock will run out of energy eventually, but it’s been discovered that the more durable the material, the longer it takes. That’s not the case for a rune like yours. The human body is another sort of structure, and if you want, I can explain the equations that dictate it.” 

“Thank you,” Sally-Anne said, smiling politely, “but I’ll pass.” 

“Unlike other runes, a Shield or Blast rune must be triggered. Like a wand, incantations must be used, but the rune becomes the focal point instead of the wand. Energy must flow through the focal point, but unlike both wanded and wandless casting, this energy doesn’t come from around you, it comes from _inside_ you.” 

“Oh!” Sally-Anne said. “So it’s like when I’m running.” 

“Exactly. It’s just like a muscle, and like any muscle, it will become easier to use as you practice with it.” 

Sally-Anne wasn’t usually one for in depth explanations, but she was always proud of herself when she finally understood a concept someone was attempting to explain to her. 

“Returning to your original question, the Blast Rune took too much out of the user, and it was deemed useless. Circular runes are still uncommon, but Pandora thought she saw potential in the idea, so she researched them. She derived those runes on your hand, combining them to fulfill specific purposes. Her idea was to create a surge of energy and shape it to create a shield, rather than discharge it as a burst. That’s what those runes do. The incantations call up the energy, and the runes shape it based on the incantation. That’s why there are so few ways of shaping the energy.” 

“So when I use _dostradi_ , the words call up electricity, and the runes make the dome around me.” 

“Sort of. I misspoke when I said that the incantations alone call up the energy. It doesn’t call up electricity from within you, it draws energy from within and around you, and the runes handle the rest. They change it into the electrical energy, and the rune combined with the incantation shapes it. Both are involved in both steps. It took her years to develop the correct combination of incantations and runes, and even longer to work out a way to have it absorb the energy it blocked.” 

“It doesn’t seem like there are that many spells it can block,” Sally-Anne said. 

“I always thought it odd. Pandora was too brilliant a witch for something so simple to escape her.” 

Sally-Anne shrugged. “It’s still brilliant.” She looked at her hand again. “So there’s no way to replicate a Patronus Charm shield, because there’s no incantation and rune that can make that sort of energy?” 

“Correct,” Professor Babbling said. “May I ask why you’re wondering about it?” 

Sally-Anne didn’t falter once as she explained that Professor Lupin was teaching her and her friends the Patronus Charm. There was nothing wrong with them wanting to know about it, especially with the hoard of Dementors in their backyard. 

“We haven’t even been to Hogsmeade yet, but we’re thinking about it this weekend,” Sally-Anne said. “Hermione and I hate the thought of passing through the gates with Dementors there.” 

“They shouldn’t bother you,” Professor Babbling said. “They search the carriages sometimes, but they won’t stay for long.” 

“It’s still bad after that,” Sally-Anne said. “Luna _still_ has nightmares, and Rose refuses to leave the castle without her.” 

“I am really sorry to hear that,” Professor Babbling said. “I hope you get to go.” 

“Me too,” Sally-Anne said, smiling. “I’ve heard it’s wonderful to get to go around the town.” 

“It is,” Professor Babbling said. “Don’t let the Dementors ruin your good time.” 

“What if they search our carriage? What are we supposed to do?” 

“Dementors can’t do any permanent damage beyond the Kiss, so–” 

Professor Babbling stopped talking and went pale. 

Sally-Anne frowned, her professor’s strange reaction making her all the more curious. 

“‘The Kiss’?” Sally-Anne asked. 

“Never mind.” 

“What is it?” 

“Leave it alone, Sally-Anne!” 

Sally-Anne was shocked. What was ‘The Kiss’? Why was Professor Babbling so bent on not telling her about it? It couldn’t be that bad, could it? How much worse could Dementors be? They fed on happy memories! They could actually take your happy memories away from you! Her memories of Harry, Hermione, and Rose could vanish in an instant just by going near them. 

_She can’t know about the Dementor’s Kiss,_ Sally-Anne heard Professor Babbling think. _No one should have to know about it._

Sally-Anne nearly asked about it, but she realized that she’d give away the pendant if she did. She didn’t want to drop it; she wanted to know about it! 

“How much worse can they be?” she tried again. 

“You don’t want to know.” 

“I’m going to find out anyway,” Sally-Anne said. “If not from you, then from Rose, because someone else is going to be thinking about it.” 

Sally-Anne hoped her expression was as serious in reality as it was in her head. 

“Fine,” Professor Babbling said. “I guess if you’ll just find out anyway. First, are you religious?” 

“Sort of,” Sally-Anne said. “Mum and Dad used to take me to church every few weeks. We never seem to have the time.” 

“Do you believe in the afterlife?” 

“Yeah,” Sally-Anne said. “I don’t know about all the stuff Rose says, but I’ve always thought that one day I’ll be up in Heaven with Mum and Dad. Just like a fairy tale, we’ll all live happily ever after.” 

Professor Babbling sighed, and Sally-Anne became concerned. Maybe she shouldn’t know about it. 

“The Dementor’s Kiss is when a Dementor lowers its hood, and… do you _really_ want to know?” 

“Yes, I _really_ want to know,” Sally-Anne said, getting impatient. 

“It lowers its hood and… and sucks out the victim’s soul.” 

Sally-Anne froze. Not just physically, but her mind stopped working. 

“Sally-Anne?” Professor Babbling asked. 

It ripped out the soul of a person. In addition to feeding on happy memories, on top of ripping the joy out of the air itself, Dementors could _rip the immortal soul of a person straight out of their body!_ No Heaven or Hell, no final judgement, just trapped for all eternity inside a Dementor. Were the souls trapped? What happened to a soul after a Dementor stole it? 

Worst of all, those things were right outside. Closer than the Basilisk had been, and this time, no Rose to save her. They wouldn’t petrify her; if they got her, it would be all over. There wouldn’t be a chance of seeing her mum or dad in another life. 

Sally-Anne felt faint. The room started to spin, and she swayed in her chair. She felt ill, and her vision grew cloudy. 

“Sally-Anne!” 

The next thing she knew, she was staring at the ceiling. Her head throbbed, and her arm was sore. 

“It’s alright,” she heard from somewhere far away. “Sally-Anne, can you hear me?” 

Who was Sally-Anne? Why was everyone so worried about her? Right! That was her! 

“I’m okay,” she said. She attempted to climb to her feet, but she fell back down. 

“I’m taking you to Madame Pomfrey.” 

“I’m fine,” Sally-Anne said. She made another attempt at standing up, succeeding on that one. “I’m fine. It’s just a lot to take in at once.” 

She thought back to just moments ago when Professor Babbling asked her if she really wanted to know. Why hadn’t she said “no”? She could never go back to not knowing the dark secret of the Dementors. 

“I’ll be alright, I just need some air,” Sally-Anne said. “I’m going to go to the Great Hall for lunch.” 

“Sally-Anne, I’m sorry,” Professor Babbling said. “I did warn you.” 

“I’m sorry for not believing you,” Sally-Anne said. “Next time you tell me I don’t want to know something, I’ll just nod and agree.” 

Sally-Anne stumbled out of the classroom, and, to her amazement, made it all the way to the Great Hall without passing out. 

* * *

When Neville got to lunch, he found Sally-Anne looking like she’d just seen Dementors in the corridors and no Hermione. Ron looked angrier than usual, and Ginny looked just as confused as Neville was. He glanced over at the Ravenclaw table, where he saw Rose and Luna sitting. 

Neville wished that Rose would sit at the Gryffindor table more. He liked sitting with her, but he was too nervous to go over and sit at the Ravenclaw table with them. 

“What’s going on?” he asked Ginny. 

“I don’t know. His Majesty is having another temper tantrum, and Sally-Anne hasn’t spoken since she sat down.” 

“Is she alright?” Neville asked. 

“I don’t know,” Ginny said. “Probably. Wanna see something _kethé_?” 

Neville started laughing at Ginny using the word “ _kethé_ ” and at how quickly she changed the subject. 

“What? Did I say it wrong?” 

“No, it sounds weird coming from anyone other than Rose,” Neville said. 

“Have you got a problem with it?” Ginny asked. Her face turned red as she glared at him. 

“Of course not,” Neville said. “What did you want to show me?” 

Ginny rolled up her sleeve to reveal a bracer on her arm. Attached to the bracer was her wand. The tip of it was just below her palm, although when she flicked her wrist, the wand sprung up so the tip was just above her palm. 

“Rose said I needed some way of not being disarmed, so I asked Hermione, she came up with this.” 

Ginny moved her wand back down with her other hand until Neville heard a faint click. 

“I’ve had to learn to do wand movements with my arms instead of my wrists, but I’m only worrying about it for my fire spells.” 

“Aren’t you afraid you’re going to get burned?” Neville asked, still eyeing the contraption on Ginny’s wrist. 

“I was at first, but Rose said she’d make me something for it, but to wait until Snowy Time.” 

“That means Christmas,” Neville said. 

“That’s what Hermione said,” Ginny said, rolling down her sleeve. “I don’t suppose _you_ know where she is, do you?” 

“I haven’t seen her since breakfast. I think she’s got practice with Rose on Wednesdays. Maybe she knows.” 

Neville glanced down the Ravenclaw table again. Rose and Luna were still sitting there, so all he’d have to do is walk down and ask. Then he’d have to endure mockery from the Ravenclaws, or other Gryffindors. Rose wouldn’t let them do that, would she? Not with her right there. 

“Why don’t we go find out?” Neville asked. 

“Sure,” Ginny replied. 

The two of them stood up, and Ginny hopped over the table. 

“Ms. Weasley!” Professor McGonagall shouted from the teachers’ table. 

“Sorry!” she shouted back. “Won’t happen again!” 

Neville knew if anyone were just as brave as Rose, it had to be Ginny. Sally-Anne was brave when it came to disasters, but Ginny was brave all the time. She went around, doing her own thing, no matter what any of the boys said. Percy gave her grief whenever she refused to be ladylike, but she always dismissed him. Neville didn’t know where she found the courage; he certainly didn’t have it. 

“Hey, Rose,” Neville said when they reached her. 

“Hey Toad. Hey Firecracker.” 

Some Ravenclaws started snickering, and Neville caught one of them muttering “Toad.” 

“Oi!” Ginny snapped. “You got a problem?” 

The Ravenclaws that were brave enough to sit near Rose and Luna looked from Ginny to Rose, then shifted away from them. 

“That’s what I thought,” Ginny said as she sat down. 

Rose appeared at the other side of the table next to Luna. 

“We were wondering if you knew where Hermione was,” Neville said as he took his seat. 

“I haven’t seen her since this morning,” Rose said. “She got into a fight with an NPC.” 

Neville concentrated on his knowledge of Rose’s terms. Which one was NPC? Was that the one about wealth? No, that was wealth by level. Damage? No, that was damage per second. 

“What’s an NPC again?” Ginny asked. 

“Non-player character,” Rose said. “Background noise. Unimportant.” 

Neville knew he had bad people skills, but even he could tell that there was an edge to Rose’s voice. 

“Who’d she fight with?” Neville asked. 

“Her brother,” Rose said, nodding towards Ginny. 

“That lousy git!” Ginny exclaimed. “He’s got to be the most self-centered person ever! Whining about how Mum likes Harry or Bill or Charlie better than him! She likes them better than _everyone_! _I_ know that!” 

“We are talking about Ron, right?” Neville asked. 

“Of course I’m talking about Ronald!” Ginny snapped. 

“No, _Rose_.” 

“Why would we be talking about Rose?” 

“Is _Rose_ talking about Ron?” 

“Oh!” Ginny stopped ranting, blushed, then looked at Rose. “You _are_ talking about Ronald, right?” 

“Yup.” 

“Good,” Ginny said. 

“Doesn’t that mean Ron’s an NPC?” Neville asked. 

“Yup.” 

That didn’t sound like Rose. She was nice, so long as you didn’t make her angry. It was easy if you remembered the three rules: 1. Don’t upset her friends; 2. Don’t touch her things; 3. Don’t talk about dragons. Rose said that Ron and Hermione were fighting again, so that meant he’d upset her. What if she upset him? No, Ron started looking upset after Hallowe’en. 

“What did he say to upset Hermione?” Neville asked. 

“Long story,” Rose said. 

“They’ll be alright,” Luna said. “Cohort will realize he’s upset Brain and go apologize.” 

Neville admired that about Luna. She always stayed hopeful, almost no matter how bad things got. Neville couldn’t do that without Rose. Neville knew everything would be alright so long as Professor Dumbledore or Rose were with them. 

He just hoped he’d never have to find out what he’d do without them. 

* * *

Despite Sally-Anne knowing what was coming, the group attempted a trip to Hogsmeade that weekend. Ron, Harry, and Sally-Anne were in one carriage, while Neville, Hermione, and Rose rode in the second one. Normally, they might’ve tried to squeeze into a single carriage, but Hermione refused to be in the same one as Ron. No one objected, so off they went. 

“Is everything alright?” Neville asked. 

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Hermione said. “Let’s just try to have some fun.” 

Up ahead of them, Sally-Anne glanced around her and saw that they were approaching the gate. She held her hands together to try to stop them from shaking, but it didn’t help. She squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the ride to be over. 

“I see Dementors at the gate,” she heard Harry say. “Looks like they’re just watching the carriages go by.” 

Sally-Anne slowly opened her eyes, but still felt the air grow cold. No matter how hard she tried to focus, she felt an overwhelming sense of fear. Before she knew it, she’d slipped back into her duel against Malfoy and felt the snake latch onto her arm. Sally-Anne was going to die, and she couldn’t even fight back. 

She tried to tell herself that it wasn’t real, that everything turned out okay, but when she did, she didn’t believe it. 

Sally-Anne looked up and saw a dragon towering over Rose. It fired acid at her and her friends, but even her Shield Rune wasn’t enough to protect them. Hermione knocked her to the floor and took the hit because Sally-Anne was too weak. 

“How are you going to protect Harry if you can’t protect yourself, Princess?!” Rose shouted at her. 

Sally-Anne began to cry. She held herself tightly, trying hard to be brave, but she didn’t have it in her. Everyone was going to die, and she was helpless to stop it. 

“ _Expecto Patronum!_ ” 

A flash of warm light chased away her nightmare. As reality reasserted itself, Sally-Anne saw she was on the floor of the carriage. 

“Sally-Anne!” 

She looked toward the source of the voice and saw Harry standing over her. 

“It’s gone now,” he said, helping her onto the seat beside him. “It’s gone.” 

“What happened?” she asked faintly. 

“Dementor searched our carriage,” Ron said. 

“You started screaming, then fell on the floor,” Harry said. “Are you alright?” 

“I’m sorry,” Sally-Anne said, keeping her arms wrapped around herself. 

“Why are _you_ apologizing?” Harry asked. 

“I don’t know. I…” 

Harry gave her a quick hug, and she relaxed. She placed her hands in her lap, but held them together to stop them from shaking. 

“The worst of it’s over now,” Harry said. “Professor Lupin says Hogsmeade trips are the best.” 

“That’s what Alex said,” Sally-Anne said, smiling. She began to fidget. “I hope the others are alright.” 

Behind them, Rose had drawn _Crimson Thorn_ the second she heard Sally-Anne scream. He remained folded up, much to the confusion of both Neville and Hermione. 

“Doesn’t he need to be unfolded?” Neville asked. 

“Not entirely,” Rose said. “I made some mods to him over the summer.” 

They all felt the chill as they approached the Dementors at the gate. Rose waited, and sure enough, one of the Dementors stuck its head into the carriage. 

“ _Nyr doch!_ ” Rose shouted, aiming _Crimson Thorn_ at the monster. 

An orb of blue energy formed at the tip of her weapon, then streaked towards the Dementor. The _orb of force_ hit it head on, and the monster evaporated the second the orb made contact. 

The second Dementor backed away from the carriage before Rose could turn _Crimson Thorn_ on it. 

“What was that?” Neville asked. 

“I integrated a _casting glove_ into _Crimson Thorn_ ,” Rose explained. “It only works when he’s folded up, but for when he is, I’ve got a wand of _orb of force_ inside him.” 

“What’s ‘ _nyr doch_ ’ mean?” Hermione asked. 

“‘Eat this ax’,” Rose replied. 

“Huh?” Neville asked. 

“Dwarven battle cry,” Rose explained. 

“Oh.” 

Not a minute after passing through the gate, they arrived at Hogsmeade. When they got off the carriages, they found Alex waiting for them. 

“Is everyone alright?” she asked, although her question was answered the moment she saw Sally-Anne. “Sally-Anne!” She rushed over to the dirty-blonde and wrapped her up in a hug. “It’s alright, Sweetheart. It’s over.” 

Sally-Anne nearly collapsed in her prefect’s arms. She was already worn out from her ordeal, and wanted nothing more than to fall asleep. 

“One of the Dementors searched our carriage,” Harry said. “She collapsed.” 

“Same with us,” Hermione said. “Rose shot one of them, and the other ran off.” 

“Come on, you lot,” Alex said. She put her arm around Sally-Anne. “Lunch is on me.” 

“Wow,” Hermione said. “Thanks.” 

They all followed Alex to the Three Broomsticks, a pub in Hogsmeade. She warmly greeted the owner, Madam Rosmerta, who set the seven of them up with a large round table. Alex sat Sally-Anne down next to her, then took her own seat. 

“It’s convenient that she had this available,” Hermione commented. 

“You could say that,” Alex said. “You could also say that I knew you six were coming, and I planned this.” 

“You did this for us?” Harry asked. 

Harry wasn’t sure what to think. If it had been someone treating just him differently, then he would’ve been angry, but it was his friends too. Especially Sally-Anne, who still looked awful after the carriage ride. 

“You lot have had the hardest time with the Dementors this year,” Alex said. “I’m just doing anything I can to help.” 

“Wish Percy were more like her,” Ron muttered. 

They ordered food, although Sally-Anne hardly spoke a word the entire time. Everyone began to worry about her. Even Ron found it hard to be mad that Sally-Anne received so much attention. 

Partway through lunch, Alex suddenly turned to Hermione, who sat on her other side. 

“Hermione, get Rose out of here.” 

“Why?” Hermione asked, looking in the direction Alex was. 

When she saw him, she paled. He walked in with Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, and Hagrid. He wore his usual coat and bowler hat, and walked with what Hermione thought was an undeserved sense of authority. 

Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic himself, the man responsible for sending Dementors to Hogwarts, had just entered the Three Broomsticks. 

Hermione’s hand darted out to grab Rose. She shot a look to Neville, who followed suit. 

“Don’t you dare,” Hermione said. 

“I just want to say ‘hi’,” Rose said in a sickly sweet voice. 

“That’s not a bad idea,” Alex said, standing up. “Not you, Rose.” She turned to Sally-Anne. “Come on. We’re gonna go talk to Professor McGonagall.” 

“Okay,” Sally-Anne whispered. 

The two girls walked over to where the four adults were sitting. 

“All I’m saying is I remember asking for a _pair_ of Dementors to guard the gates,” Fudge was saying. “I only saw one.” 

“Excuse me, Professor McGonagall,” Alex said. 

“Ms. Nertlyn,” Professor McGonagall said. “I’m in the middle of something.” 

She frowned when she saw Sally-Anne. 

“I wouldn’t be asking if it weren’t important,” Alex said. “I wanted to clear usual procedures for you for Sally-Anne. She’s been like this since she passed through the gate.” 

Alex met McGonagall’s gaze and hoped she understood. 

“I understand,” Professor McGonagall said. “Usual procedures are clear. What about her friends? Are they alright?” 

“Yes.” 

“Good. If you would please let Ms. Peta-Lorrum know I haven’t finished grading the exams yet, but I’ll have them finished soon.” 

Alex nodded, then politely excused herself and Sally-Anne. She didn’t need to ask about Professor McGonagall’s strange message; the purpose was plain as day when she saw Minister Fudge’s face. 

The second Rose’s name was dropped, Fudge flinched. 

“You remember Ms. Peta-Lorrum, right Minister?” Professor McGonagall asked as Alex led Sally-Anne away. “That young lady, Ms. Perks, is one of her best friends.” 

“You don’t say,” Fudge said, regaining his composure. “Now, what was it you wanted to talk about?” 

Back at the students’ table, Alex and Sally-Anne took their seats. 

“What was the point of that?” Rose asked. 

“Fudge can’t deny that Dementors are harming anyone now,” Alex said. 

“He already knew, he just doesn’t care,” Rose said, glaring at the table where Fudge sat. 

“Why did he recognize your name?” Alex asked. 

“I’ve only met him the once,” Rose replied. “I told him we killed the Basilisk. Does he remember me?” 

“He remembers you, alright. I think he nearly fainted when Professor McGonagall said your name.” 

“Does that mean I can–” 

“Don’t you dare leave this table,” Alex said. She looked around and realized that someone was already missing. 

“Where’s Harry?” 

“He snuck off while you lot were distracted by me,” Rose said. “He’s eavesdropping on Professor McGonagall.” 

Alex glanced back over at the other table. She didn’t see anything, but it didn’t surprise her that Rose could. 

“There’s nothing we can do now,” Alex said. “We can’t get to him without drawing attention, so let’s let him be.” 

“What about–” 

“No, Rose,” Alex and Hermione said. 

* * *

Harry’s head was reeling. He had slipped away while everyone was distracted by Rose and Sally-Anne, and listened in on Professor McGonagall’s conversation with the Minister of Magic. After they had finished talking about Rose, Professor McGonagall explained what she knew about Sirius Black. 

He was their friend. The man that had betrayed his parents had been his dad’s best friend. Not only that, but he was Harry’s _godfather_. His parents had trusted Sirius Black so much that they entrusted him with raising Harry if something were to happen to them! 

Harry snuck out of the Three Broomsticks, and kept walking until he was out of the way of everyone else. He needed a minute to clear his head. He pulled off his invisibility cloak, then stood in silence. 

Harry didn’t know how long he’d been there when his friends caught up to him. 

“Harry, where were you?!” Hermione gasped. 

“He was their friend,” Harry said. 

“What?” Ron asked. 

Not too far from them, Sally-Anne began to cry. Harry didn’t care. It wasn’t that he didn’t care about his friend, but her problems could wait. 

“So you heard too,” Rose said. 

“Did you hear what they said?” Harry asked. 

Rose shook her head. 

“Not all of it, but then, I already knew.” 

“What?!” Harry roared. 

Harry briefly remembered seeing Hermione angry at Rose when she told them that she wasn’t a witch. Was this how Hermione had felt? It didn’t matter. Nothing else mattered. What mattered was that Rose had known that Sirius Black was friends with his parents, and she didn’t bother to tell him. 

“How long?!” 

“Since Professor Lupin started giving you lot lessons on the Patronus Charm. Professor Dumbledore told me that he was friends with Sirius Black, so I put it together.” 

“Who else knows?! Hermione?! Luna?!” 

“Just me,” Rose said. “I didn’t involve them.” 

“Did you know he was my godfather?!” 

“I don’t know what that is,” Rose said. “Is it like a _torerl_?” 

“This isn’t the time for your made-up words, Rose!” Harry snapped. “Don’t you understand? My parents’ best friend betrayed them to Voldemort! Isn’t that punishable by death in your world?” 

“Who’s gonna kill him, Scarface?” Rose asked. “You? He’ll hear you coming a mile away.” 

“Everyone, calm down,” Alex said. 

“Not if I’m quiet!” Harry shouted. “He can’t see me!” 

“I can see your footprints in the snow!” Rose shot back. 

“I’ll sense him coming!” 

“From 30 feet! He can still hit you from outside that range! He’s the only person to escape from Azkaban!” 

“I can beat him!” 

In a flash, Harry’s feet were knocked out from under him. A boot was pressed on his chest, holding him on the ground, and he found himself looking up a crimson blade. 

“Rose!” Alex shouted. “Stop!” 

“What now, Scarface?” Rose asked. “Gonna disappear? Gonna disarm me? _Crimson Thorn_ can’t be disarmed, and you can’t move. I was within 30 feet of you, and you still weren’t fast enough to stop me. _Yet._ ” 

For a minute, no one moved. Rose and Harry glared at one another, Sally-Anne buried her head in Alex’s side, and Hermione, Ron, and Neville watched, hoping that Rose wouldn’t seriously hurt Harry. 

“Alright,” Harry said finally. “I get it.” 

_Crimson Thorn_ folded up and vanished back inside Rose’s glove. She reached out her hand and helped Harry to his feet. 

“This is what I’ve been trying to tell you all month,” Rose said. “You’re good, but grownups have got experience we haven’t got. I’ve heard tales of Wizards that research all the best spells, but no one can tell you what you’ll need. Sk’lar figured that out too. When I first came here, I had to change how I was persisting spells on myself, because my system didn’t work well enough. It worked in theory, but not in practice. Everyone goes through it; better to learn it now rather than when you’re in a fight with Sirius Black.” 

Hermione let out a sigh of relief. 

“That’s far more excitement than I wanted today,” she said. 

“Me either,” Neville said. 

“So long as Sirius Black gets what’s coming to him, I don’t care,” Harry said. “If the Dementors get him, then–” 

“No!” 

They all turned to see Sally-Anne, tears still in her eyes, no longer staying close to Alex. 

“You can’t!” 

“Sally-Anne, it’s alright,” Alex said, trying to hold the girl, but she shrugged off the prefect’s protection. 

“You don’t know what they’ll do to him!” Sally-Anne shouted. 

“Who cares?” Harry said. “He doesn’t deserve to be happy after what he did!” 

“They’ll take his soul!” 

A silence fell over the group. Everyone stared at Sally-Anne, not sure how to react. 

“What?” Hermione asked. 

“Dementors have this thing called the Dementor’s Kiss. They lower their hoods, and take a person’s soul!” 

“Good!” Harry snapped. “He deserves it after what he did.” 

“How can you say that?!” Sally-Anne shrieked. 

“No one deserves that!” Rose shouted. 

“He betrayed my mum and dad!” 

“So kill him!” Rose shouted. “Fine!” 

“What difference does it make?” Ron asked. “Taking someone’s soul’s just like killing them, isn’t it?” 

“It’s not!” Sally-Anne sobbed. 

She didn’t know how to make Harry understand. She didn’t know what to say or do. 

“How can you take his side after what he did?” shouted Harry. 

“I’m not!” Sally-Anne sobbed, collapsing to the ground. 

“You’re defending him!” 

“That’s enough!” Alex roared. She ran over to Sally-Anne and put her arms around the girl. “Rose, take us to the Hospital Wing. Just me and Sally-Anne.” 

Rose pulled _Serendipity_ , then began to move everyone. First, she sent Alex and Sally-Anne to the Hospital Wing, then Neville back to Gryffindor Tower. She sent Harry and Ron to their room, then finally her and Hermione went to the Room of Requirement. 

After Rose dragged Hermione into the Room, she collapsed on one of the couches that the Room provided them. 

“Why did it bother you so much that Dementors can remove a person’s soul?” Hermione asked, sitting on the other couch. “Isn’t that no different from someone dying?” 

Rose was ready to talk about it. It was the very reason she brought Hermione with her to the Room of Requirement. 

“A few years ago, back on De’rok, a madman called Ithaka Wixwary hatched a plan to destroy Sentrum City,” Rose explained. “Sentrum’s the trade capital of De’rok, and the economy effectively halts if it’s destroyed.” 

“That seems like a design flaw somewhere,” Hermione said, hoping to cheer up her friend. Just like after the boggart, she was starting to become frightened by Rose’s current mood, to say nothing of Sally-Anne. 

“It was an intentional flaw,” Rose replied. “Someone designed it that way a long time ago. Wixwary and friends disabled the _dimensional lock_ on the city. Sort of like the ward on Hogwarts that stops you lot from teleporting.” 

Hermione nodded her understanding. 

“They teleported into the city and began to wreak havoc while Wixwary set up for a ritual. Most of it was already prepared, but he needed a final piece of it: A platform high above the city.” She smiled faintly. “Fortunately for De’rok, the Exalted had just learned about it. The four of them entered the city, where I was at the time. Probably the only one other than the Enforcers running _towards_ the people trying to kill everyone.” 

“What happened?” 

“We broke into two teams: Sk’lar and Carolina were tasked with stopping the ritual Wixwary was performing, and Bowie, Shadow, and I were to evacuate the city.” 

The look on Rose’s face told Hermione one thing: This story didn’t have a happy ending. 

“The ritual was intended to destroy the city. It brought destruction down upon an area, centered upon the caster. That meant that the caster wouldn’t survive.” 

Hermione gasped. “Oh my– Did Sk’lar go up there?!” 

Rose shook her head. “I’ve often wondered if that would’ve been better. At least then… No, he didn’t. The ritual was made with the intent of tricking someone into doing it for you. The more pure the soul sacrificed, the more control the caster had over the ritual. But the caster had to give up their very soul to power the ritual. The ritual consumed their soul.” 

Hermione didn’t understand. What could have happened to make Rose think that her _brother_ giving up his soul would’ve been _better_ than what actually happened?! 

“Sk’lar teleported Carolina up to the platform, and she took out Wixwary. Then… Then she took control of the ritual, and concentrated it on just the platform. It was consumed, and Carolina died.” 

“But… you brought her back, right?” Hermione asked. “You said you can–” 

“I couldn’t back then,” Rose said. “I’ve only had _Serendipity_ for a few years, Hermione. I made her less than a year before arriving here. The spell that powers her hadn’t been rediscovered yet. Even if it had… Even if it had, her soul was lost. _Revivify_ rejoins a soul with its body, but we didn’t have a body or a soul. Carolina was gone, and we couldn’t bring her back.” 

Hermione didn’t need the rest of the story after that, but she didn’t want to interrupt Rose. 

“But that didn’t stop Sk’lar from trying. He tried for a year to bring her back. During those 12 months, I talked with Shadow, Alice, and Uncle Oz. I even talked with Bowie once or twice. But I never saw Sk’lar. Uncle Oz was the one who told me Sk’lar was probably at Episti, despite how much Sk’lar hated going there. Going to Episti meant the possibility of seeing his parents, and Sk’lar _hates_ seeing them, but there’s no collection of knowledge quite like it. Sk’lar hid in the library there for a year, desperately trying to bring back Carolina.” 

“I know she’s not dead,” Hermione said. “You talk about her as if she’s alive.” 

“It was Sk’lar’s last resort that brought her back to life,” Rose said. “In my world, it’s not a matter of believing in deities, but a matter of worshiping them. Well, we got help from one. That was when I first met EL. The only entity in all creation that could’ve helped us. We got lucky. That’s not the point of this story.” 

“What is?” Hermione asked. 

“We found Sk’lar at the end of that year, and he was in horrible shape. He hadn’t slept in days, his eyes were bloodshot, his movements were erratic… He didn’t look like my brother anymore. He was running on pure adrenaline. It… It hurt to see him that way, desperately trying to bring back his best friend. Sk’lar felt responsible for her death, and the guilt was eating him alive. My brother was always the smart one, the one who gave me hope when I needed it most. Seeing him like that made me feel like all hope was lost. I felt like I was going to lose my brother after losing one of my only friends.” 

“So that’s why it bothers you that much that Dementors can extract the soul from a person,” Hermione said. “You don’t want what happened to your brother to happen again.” 

“Carolina’s the kindest, most selfless person ever,” Rose said. “At her funeral, her dad told us a story about when Carolina was being picked on by some other girls. Her dad told her that they were just jealous of how pretty she was– typical dad answer– so Carolina went back over to the kids and said, ‘It’s alright. I think you’re pretty too.’ Of all the people that _deserved_ to die, Carolina was one of the few who _didn’t_. Even _Wixwary_ survived that. He’s _still_ alive. We lost Carolina in that crisis, and a bit of my brother went with her.” 

“But Sirius Black isn’t Carolina. He’s a mass murderer.” 

“But what if he didn’t do it?” Rose asked. “What if he realizes he did something wrong? What if he changes? It will be too late. If you get hurt, I can fix any damage, even mental. I can bring you back if you die, so long as I’m right there, but if you’re soul’s removed from your body, that’s it. That’s the one thing I can’t fix.” 

Hermione thought she understood, but Rose kept explaining more and more, and now Hermione wasn’t sure if she understood anymore. It sounded like Rose was saying that there would always be someone hurt by it, but Rose didn’t care if she killed a person. Not 20 minutes ago she was contemplating killing Cornelius Fudge. If Rose could restore life to a person no matter what, then it’d make sense, but as it stood, Hermione couldn’t see the difference between killing someone and taking their soul. 

Unless… 

“You liar.” 

Rose looked up from the couch. 

“What?” 

“You _gromphun_ liar!” 

“What did I do?” 

“There’s no time limit on how long after someone dies that you can restore them, is there?!” 

Rose stared at Hermione, as if assessing her options. After a moment of silent contemplation, she let out a sigh. 

“There is, but it’s not six seconds,” Rose said. “I still need a body.” 

“What’s the actual limit.” 

“Brain–” 

“What is it?!” 

“I don’t remember,” Rose said. “At least 20 years.” 

Hermione didn’t know what to say. Rose could bring people back from the dead. Luna’s mum, Harry’s parents, murder victims, _anyone_. 

“I didn’t tell anyone because if I did, they’d all start asking about it. I can bring back anyone, but not _everyone_.” 

Hermione opened her mouth to scream at Rose for lying to her _again_ , but a thought occurred to her. 

“What about your parents?” Hermione asked. 

“Like I told you over the summer, their bodies were destroyed, just like Carolina’s.” 

Hermione understood. She understood Rose’s frustration with Harry, her reluctance to restore life to the dead, and her refusal to tell anyone about it. She understood because if Rose could, she’d bring back her parents, but she couldn’t. It wasn’t a matter of choice for her, it was personal. Rose understood perfectly what it was like to lose someone she loved, and even though she had the power, she still couldn’t see them again. 

“You’ll run out of XP,” Hermione said. “You said even the _thought bottle_ has its limits. That’s why you won’t tell anyone you can, and that’s why you don’t want to remove a soul from a body. You can still bring them back, no matter how much time passes, but you can’t after that.” 

Rose nodded. 

“No one else will understand you,” Hermione said. 

“Toad and Moon will,” Rose said. “He knows the difference, and she wants to see her mum after she’s gone. She can’t do that if her soul’s extracted.” 

Hermione nodded, then laid down on the couch. She was exhausted. 

“Think we should invite Sally-Anne to our sleepover?” Hermione asked. 

“Alex is with her,” Rose said. “They’ll be alright. Thanks for understanding, Hermione.” 


	15. The Snow Glistens White

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is much snow and shouting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** ATTENTION EVERYONE! J.K. ROWLING OWNS HARRY POTTER!

Just like that, a rift formed in their group. Rose, Hermione, and Sally-Anne were on one side, and Harry and Ron were on the other. Luna, Ginny, and Neville tried not to take sides, although they still ended up divided, with Ginny reluctantly taking the boys’ side. 

Sally-Anne spent the rest of the day in the Hospital Wing, then the next few days back at home. Alex insisted that she take a break from Hogwarts for a few days to clear her head. Madame Pomfrey had backed her, saying it was either spend a few days at home, or a few weeks in St. Mungo’s. 

Alex suggested that Harry take the time to cool down, but he was just as angry at Sally-Anne when she came back as he’d been the day she’d left. After everything he’d told Sally-Anne about Sirius Black, why was she defending him? _How_ could she defend him? Sirius Black was a monster, and he deserved to be punished. Harry would do it himself if he could. 

Sally-Anne of all people. She had to be repulsed by what Sirius Black had done, but still she defended him. Not Hermione, whom Harry had expected to snap at him. Even Rose wasn’t a surprise, but Sally-Anne was. What was wrong with her? 

His parents had trusted Black to keep them safe, and he’d run right to Voldemort. Had he given it thought first? Had he at least considered that the Potters would be hurt? Most importantly, why hadn’t anyone told him? 

Percy or a professor following Harry around angered him more. He took to wearing his invisibility cloak to class just so they wouldn’t follow him. Percy tried to convince him that they were trying to keep him safe, but Harry ignored him. Harry didn’t care; he didn’t _want_ to listen. When a teacher tried ordering him to take off the cloak, he always responded with the question “Why didn’t anyone tell me about Sirius Black?” No one gave him a good answer to that, although they still tried. 

“Ron, can’t you tell your mum to tell Percy to stop following me?” Harry asked one day at dinner. 

“Like she’ll listen to me,” Ron said. 

“She’s just worried,” Ginny said. “Give her another few weeks, and she’ll calm down. She was like that every time I got a cut. She’d go mad, telling me I wasn’t allowed out of the house anymore, but she’d forget all about it after a week.” 

“What?!” Ron shouted. 

Ginny frowned. 

“What’d I say?” 

“She never cared _half_ that much when I got hurt!” Ron shouted. 

“That’s because you just try to act all tough and ignore it,” Ginny shot back. 

“What, so I should just cry like you do?” 

“I do not cry!” 

Harry figured out a few days ago that when Ron and Ginny were forced to spend more than a few minutes together, they always started fighting. They were both hotheaded, opinionated, and loud. Harry wondered if it ran in the family. 

“It might come off as a mad idea, Ron, but have you tried _asking_ your mum about it?” 

The three of them looked up to see Sally-Anne walking past them. Harry avoided eye contact and moved a few seats down. He didn’t see it, but Ginny saw Sally-Anne wince. 

“Huh?” Ron asked. 

“Write your mum and ask her why she’s not bothering to look after you,” Sally-Anne said. “You’ve been whining about it all month, so just do something about it.” 

Sally-Anne sat down next to Ginny and began quietly eating her dinner. 

* * *

_Dear Mum_ , 

_Why don’t you care that Sirius Black’s dog checked my bed?! You’ve had Percy following Harry around since Hallowe’en! I get that you like Harry better than me, but you could at least pretend you like me at all!_

_From_ , 

_Ron_

“That’ll get her attention, Ron,” Sally-Anne said after she looked over Ron’s letter in the Owlery. 

“You think so?” Ron asked. 

“Yeah, but you shouldn’t say–” 

“It’ll be fine,” Ron said as he handed the letter to one of the owls. 

Ron felt better after he sent the letter. He felt like people were going to listen to him; he felt like he mattered. If he could patch things up with his mum, maybe he could patch things up with Hermione too. 

“Sally-Anne, why’s Hermione still mad at me?” Ron asked her as they left the Owlery. 

“She won’t talk about it,” Sally-Anne said. “I bet I know how you can make it up to her.” 

“How?” 

“Before I tell you, you’ve got to promise to help me with _my_ plan,” Sally-Anne said. 

As they walked back to Gryffindor Tower, Sally-Anne filled him in on her plan, then explained to him what _he_ needed to do for Hermione. 

* * *

The next morning, as a flock of owls flew over the Great Hall, one dropped a red letter in front of Ron. Ron took one look at the letter, and his face turned as pale as Rose’s. 

“Good job, Ron,” Ginny said. “You made Mum angry.” 

Harry noticed that not too far down the table, the same owl dropped a letter in front of both Fred and George. 

“Aren’t you going to open it?” Sally-Anne asked. 

“Are you mad?!” Ron shouted. “That’s a howler!” 

“What’s a howler?” Sally-Anne asked. 

“It’s gonna yell at Ron,” Ginny said, laughing. 

“It’ll explode if you don’t open it,” Hermione said apathetically. 

“Really?!” Rose asked, her face lighting up. 

“Help me!” Ron pleaded. “Please!” 

Sally-Anne looked at her friends, and knew from their faces that no one had any interest in helping him. Sally-Anne hadn’t known what to expect, but it certainly wasn’t that everyone in the Great Hall would be able to hear Ron’s mum’s reply. It didn’t seem fair, but she couldn’t stop it. Hermione or Rose probably could, but Hermione was still angry at Ron, and Rose was too amused to stop it. 

The letter in front of Ron began to hiss. 

“It’s really going to explode,” Sally-Anne said. 

Ron looked to his friends for help, but no one was going to help him. He couldn’t use a strong enough quieting charm to make a difference, nor could anything around him muffle the sound. 

Then Ron had an idea. He grabbed the letter, pulled open his pack, opened the letter, than crammed it inside before it could start screaming. 

“ _What do you mean Sirius Black looked around your bed?!_ ” came the voice of his mum from inside his pack. “ _This is just like you, Ronald Bilius Weasley! You never tell me anything! If you had told me that Sirius Black was looking into you, I’d have had Bill and Charlie there within an hour!_ ” 

Ron could hear it, but a quick glance around him told him that no one apart from his friends could. 

“ _And don’t you DARE tell me I don’t care about you! You’re my son! Of course, I care! I make sure there’s food on the table for all of you! I don’t just cook for Ginny! If I didn’t love you, I wouldn’t put up with this nonsense! Next time you accuse me of liking Harry better than you, try using that brain of yours! I know it’s in there! Ugh! I’m so angry with you I can’t even think straight!_ ” 

There were a few moments of silence before he heard “ _Love, Your Mother._ ” 

Ron was relieved when he heard the letter tear itself to pieces. 

“Happy, now?” Sally-Anne asked. 

Ron looked down at his pack that had been shouting at him just a moment ago, then back up at Sally-Anne. His mum cared about him. He should’ve known that already, but it was nice to know. When he thought about it, Ron began to wonder why everything had seemed so bad. 

“Yeah,” he said. “I think so.” 

Sally-Anne smiled, happy knowing that something she did had turned out right. 

After breakfast, the group began the journey to the Dungeons for Potions. In addition to Percy joining them, Fred and George flanked Ron on either side. 

“Mum’s _really_ mad at you, Ronniekins,” Fred said. “Right, Fred?” 

“Absolutely, George,” George said. “Told us we had better keep an eye on our baby brother.” 

“And sister, while we’re at it.” 

“This means we’ll have to follow you everywhere, Ronniekins.” 

“I bet we can set up cots in his room, Fred,” Fred said. 

“We should probably taste test his food from now on.” 

That was the beginning of the Twins following Ron everywhere. When Harry and Ginny were with them, the entire Weasley Clan moved as a pack through the halls of Hogwarts. Fred and George insisted on standing on either side of Ron, often wearing sunglasses to make themselves look more tough ( _that_ had been Rose’s idea). While Harry was annoyed at his tail, Ron loved his. Every time he saw the Twins following him, it reminded him that people cared about him, although he’d never admit that. 

Unfortunately, this had the side effect of making it harder to talk to Professor Vector without alerting anyone. 

“Why do you need to talk with Vector?” Fred asked. 

“None of your business,” Ron snapped. 

“Is it about Hermione?” George teased. 

“Shut up!” 

“Oooh! Someone’s in love!” Fred sang. 

“Am not!” Ron snapped. “I _am_ in love with the idea of not being killed by Rose! Sally-Anne said I can cheer her up with a present, and that Professor Vector would know what to get her. I can’t ask Rose because _she’s_ mad at me too.” 

“ _Right_ ,” the boys said. 

“What are you gonna get Rose to cheer _her_ up?” Fred asked. 

“A flamethrower, I don’t know,” Ron said. “It’s Rose. It’s not as if she holds grudges for long. Besides, I could probably get her _rocks_ and she’d be happy.” 

“What’s a flamethrower?” George asked. 

“It’s a Muggle thing. I read about it in my Muggle Studies book.” 

“Gasp!” Fred gasped. “Did our brother just say he read about something?” 

“He did!” George exclaimed, placing his hands on his cheeks. “I don’t believe it.” 

“Ha ha,” Ron said. He picked up his pace; the faster he reached Professor Vector’s office, the happier he’d be. 

“Professor Vector,” he said when he reached her office. 

The Arithmancy Professor looked up from the papers on her desk. 

“I hope this is quick, Mr. Weasley, I’m short on time.” 

“I was wondering… erm… Sally-Anne said…” 

“I haven’t got all day, and I’m sure you don’t want your brothers to answer for you.” 

“I need a present for Hermione so she won’t be mad at me and Rose won’t kill me!” Ron blurted before Fred or George could take a breath. 

A moment of awkward silence fell over the room, and Ron realized that it had been a mistake to ask for a teacher’s help. He didn’t need them. What was he– 

“Does your brother still work in Romania?” Professor Vector asked, snapping Ron out of his thoughts. 

“Charlie? Yeah, why?” 

“Because also working at the Romanian Dragon Preserve is a man called Rupert Borrell, who is–” 

“That’s Christine Borrell’s husband, right?” Ron asked. 

“Who?” the Twins asked. 

Professor Vector nodded her approval. 

“I’m impressed that you know that. Would you mind educating these two?” 

“Christine Borrell writes a lot of Arithmancy books,” Ron said. “I didn’t realize her husband worked with Charlie. Are you saying I should ask him?” 

“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” Professor Vector replied. “Will that be all?” 

“Yeah,” Ron said. 

“Enjoy your afternoon, Mr. Weasley,” Professor Vector said, returning to her work. 

Ron ran off, hoping to keep ahead of his brothers long enough to find Sally-Anne. 

* * *

Harry was excited when he woke up on Christmas morning. In spite of everything that had been happening, Christmas couldn’t be ruined. The only way it could be ruined was if fighting broke out, no one got him presents, and they suddenly had to go to class. 

“How come I haven’t got any presents?” he asked Ron when he saw that nothing was sitting at the foot of his bed. 

“Me either!” Ron shouted. “What’s going on!” 

“Good, you’re awake,” Neville said from the doorway. “Rose says to meet her in the Room of Requirement.” 

“ _Neville?!_ ” Ron exclaimed. “When did you get here?!” 

“This morning,” Neville said. “Rose brought me here, along with the girls. She says get dressed, or don’t, and meet her in the Room of Requirement.” 

Without waiting for them, he started down the stairs. 

“Why?!” Ron demanded. 

“It’s a surprise!” came the response. 

Harry and Ron exchanged glances, then threw on robes over their pajamas. Harry wondered if the Room of Requirement counted as going to class. If it did, that was two things on his list of horrible Christmas events that were already happening, and he hadn’t been awake for more than five minutes. 

“Can’t believe this,” grumbled Ron. 

“Give them a chance,” Harry said as they ran down the stairs. 

They found Neville and Ginny waiting for them in the common room. Like the boys, both of them were still in pajamas. Neville’s were complete with fuzzy slippers. 

“Who else is here?” Harry asked. 

“Just us,” Ginny said. “Hermione and Sally-Anne are already there, and Rose went to fetch Luna.” 

“I can’t believe this!” Ron shouted again, throwing his arms up in exasperation. 

_Neither can I, Ronald,_ Ginny thought. She knew siblings were supposed to be embarrassing, but sometimes Ron was just too much. 

“I don’t like it either,” she said. “The sooner we play Rose’s game, the sooner we get our presents.” 

“Rose isn’t _mean_ ,” Neville said. “I’m sure she’s trying to cheer us up.” 

“I know it might be hard to believe, but Rose doesn’t always think about other people,” Harry said. 

Hearing Harry say that made Neville angry, but he knew that Rose would prove Harry wrong. She was their friend, and she wouldn’t take their presents or kidnap them without good reason. 

The four of them journeyed to the Room of Requirement, where they found Rose, Luna, Hermione, and Sally-Anne waiting for them. 

“Salutations!” Rose exclaimed cheerfully when she saw them. “Is everyone ready?” 

“Where’s our stuff, Rose?!” Ron demanded. 

Ignoring Ron, Rose began to pace up and down along the corridor. She muttered under her breath, until finally the door appeared. It was decorated with ribbons, and a wreath hung in the middle of it. 

Ron went for the door, but Rose beat him too it. 

“Stop trying to ruin it, Cohort,” Rose said as she opened the door. 

The first thing Harry noticed was the ceiling. It was just like the one in the Great Hall, but it was burnt orange and covered in clouds, as if the sun were just peeking out over the horizon. Snow drifted down and settled on the floor, but it wasn’t cold. He heard the crunching of snow beneath his feet, but it was comfortable to walk through. 

The walls were decorated to give the room the appearance that it stretched on over a field covered with snow. Harry had to put his hand on one of the walls to make sure the Room of Requirement hadn’t teleported them to somewhere far away. 

Across the room was a dark green pine tree, covered with snow and ornaments. Atop the tree sat not a typical star, but a shining orb of pure light. Beside the tree a fireplace crackled silently, and scattered around the base of the tree were presents. Inar stood beside the tree, wearing a green jumper over his overalls and a red and white cap on his head. 

Laying in front of the packages was a small black dog. This one wasn’t big and scruffy like the one Harry had seen over the summer, but cheerful and fluffy. The second they walked through the door, it barked excitedly and ran straight over to Luna. It sat itself down in front of her, its tail throwing snow around behind it as it panted happily. 

“Is that–” Hermione began, but Rose cupped her hand over Hermione’s mouth. 

“Sh!” Rose said. She turned to Luna, although kept her hand over Hermione’s mouth. “Her name’s Tutela. Brain says that’s Latin for ‘safeguard’. She’s a Homunculus like Int, but she’ll keep you safe no matter what.” 

Luna crouched down and began to pet Tutela. The “dog” nestled up against the little girl, happy as could be. 

“Also, she can swim,” Rose said. She paused, then added, “And fly.” 

“Thank you, Rose,” Luna said. She gave her friend a hug as the boys and Ginny ran to get at their own presents. 

The second they reached the tree, Inar held up a hand to stop them. He then began running about the tree, grabbing presents and handing them to people. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Ron said. 

“I like it,” Ginny said as she was handed a small box wrapped in red paper. “Thanks, Inar.” 

Inar buzzed as he grabbed a long, obviously broom-shaped present and handed it to Harry, then slapped Ron’s hand when the ginger reached for a present from the stack. 

“Wait,” Rose said. “We all helped with this, so we’re all gonna watch him open it.” 

Harry knew without opening the present that it was a new broom. He also knew that his friends weren’t exactly wealthy, so it wasn’t likely to be quite the same as his old Nimbus 2000. Still, it was a nice gesture, so he did his best to look thankful. 

When he tore off the paper, Harry got a big surprise. It was just like the one in Diagon Alley at which he’d stared longingly every time he passed it. The wood was smoothed and polished, and even the bristles were in perfect order. 

“That’s…” he said. “That’s…” 

“Use your words,” Ginny said, hardly containing her excitement. “You’re not me.” 

“That’s a _Firebolt_!” Harry exclaimed. “What?! How?!” 

“It was Sally-Anne’s idea!” Ginny exclaimed. 

Harry stared at Sally-Anne. He couldn’t believe it. He’d hardly spoken to Sally-Anne since the Hogsmeade trip, and yet she had apparently orchestrated an entire heist to get him a new broom. 

“How?” Harry asked again. 

“I remembered that you really liked it at Diagon Alley, so I asked Alex, and she said to ask Alicia and Angie,” Sally-Anne explained. “They told me the price of it, and it was a lot, so I asked Hermione and Rose. Turns out, the gold Rose has can be exchanged for galleons, but we couldn’t just send it all in, because it’d draw attention to her.” 

“Sally-Anne had the idea to collect donations and have Rose match them,” Hermione said. “That way, Rose would only need to supply part of the money.” 

“We exchanged my gold for your galleons at nearly a hundred different locations, none of which were Gringotts,” Rose said. “Also, as few as possible that spoke the same language.” 

“That was _my_ idea,” Ron said proudly. 

“Since she only exchanged a few pieces of gold at a time, she was just like any other customer,” Neville said. 

“We helped!” Ginny exclaimed, giddy with excitement. “Rose took us all over the world so we could exchange her gold without anyone noticing.” 

“Professor Dumbledore took me to get the broom last week,” Sally-Anne said. “Everyone else pitched in to help.” 

“Everyone?” Harry asked. 

“Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Flitwick, Sprout, Lupin, Babbling, Vector, and Hagrid all gave some galleons towards it,” Hermione said. “Other contributors include the Gryffindor Quidditch team, the Gryffindor prefects, the Weasley family, and Hufflepuff House. For every galleon they gave, Rose gave five.” 

“Professor Dumbledore pulled some strings and got a discounted price,” Neville added. 

Harry didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t sure which part surprised him more: the part where the whole thing was led by Sally-Anne, whom he’d driven to tears less than a month ago, or the part where Professor _Snape_ donated money for him to get a new broom. What did Rose say to convince him to do that?! 

Harry looked down at his new broom, then up at his friends. They stood or sat around him, waiting for his reaction. 

“I don’t know what to say,” he said, looking at the word _firebolt_ emblazoned on the broom. 

“How about tha–” Ginny began, but was cut off by Neville elbowing her. 

“She’s right,” Harry said. “Thank you. Everyone, thank you. I don’t know what else to say.” 

Harry realized he did know what to say. It was something he should’ve said weeks ago, but he’d been too angry to say it. 

“Sally-Anne, I’m… I’m sorry.” 

“You don’t have to apologize,” Sally-Anne said. “It really wasn’t a big deal.” 

“Great, we all love each other again,” Ginny said. “I’m with Cohort on this. Can we open presents now?” 

Sally-Anne blushed, then sat down in the “snow”. Harry sat down beside her, and Inar began to distribute the rest of the presents. 

Ginny tore open the small box from Rose, to find that it was in fact a small box. A gold ring with ruby runes engraved in it sat inside. 

“ _Ring of Fire Immunity_ ,” Rose said as Ginny opened it, “so I don’t have to keep fixing your burns after practice.” 

Ginny grinned and slipped the ring on her finger. 

“ _Kethé!_ ” 

“Is that what took you so long?” Hermione asked. 

“Nope,” Rose replied as she directed Inar to another box. 

Inar grabbed a package and dropped it in front of Hermione. She would’ve opened it had she not recognized it immediately and known it wasn’t for her. 

<He wants _you_ to give it, > Rose informed her. 

Hermione glared at Rose, but knew she wasn’t being given a choice. She walked over to Ron and sat down beside him. 

“Here,” she said, not looking Ron in the eye. “Rose and I got this for you.” 

Ron took the small box and greedily tore it open. Inside was a black horse, reared up on its hind legs, with a black knight mounted on top of it. The knight held its sword out, ready to command its army. It held the reins of its horse with the other hand, but under its arm was its helmet. As Ron looked closer, he realized that the knight had _his_ face. 

“It’s just like one of the knights from Professor McGonagall’s chess set,” Hermione said. “I got her to show us the original, and Rose carved it.” 

“Why’d you give it my face?” Ron asked. 

“Because that was the piece you played,” Hermione said. 

“And the rest of it?” Rose asked. 

“No,” Hermione said, returning to her original seat next to Rose. 

Ginny looked from Ron to Hermione. 

“Come on!” she whined. “It’s Christmas! Lighten up!” 

“Ginny, drop it!” Hermione snapped. 

Ron knew Hermione was still angry at him, but that would change when she saw what he’d gotten her. It had required him getting help from _three_ people, and Ron hated getting help from _anyone_ , but it would be worth it if his friend would just talk to him again. 

“Rose, you _did_ ask if Luna could keep a dog here, right?” Sally-Anne asked as a book-shaped present was dropped in front of her. 

“Tutela, quick! Professor McGonagall!” Rose shouted. 

Tutela lept up from Luna’s lap and dove inside her pack. A pair of ears poked out of the sack, indicating that there was certainly not a dog inside of it, and anyone who said otherwise was spreading lies and slander. 

“So that’s a ‘no’,” Hermione said. 

“They let her keep Int,” Neville said. “I’m sure Too… erm…” 

“Tutela,” Rose said. 

“I’m sure Tutela won’t be that different,” Neville said. 

Inar continued to deliver presents to everyone, although only one person was allowed to open a present at a time, according to Rose. 

“Is that how it’s done back home?” Harry asked. 

“We haven’t got Snowy Time back home,” Rose replied. “I just don’t want to miss more opportunities to have fun.” 

There were no other presents for Harry, but his broom was all he needed. He sat beside Sally-Anne and watched her face light up every time she received a book she didn’t already have. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t get you much,” Harry said. 

“It’s alright,” Sally-Anne said. “I… I didn’t mean that Sirius Black shouldn’t be punished for what he did, I just don’t think _anyone_ should suffer… _that_. I really hope he pays for what he did. Just… please be careful.” 

“I will. You’re a good friend, Sally-Anne.” 

While they spoke, Neville opened another red wrapping paper present, and found a small crystal inside. 

“ _Lesser returning crystal_ ,” Rose explained. “Press it to the hilt of the Sword of Gryffindor, and you’ll be able to call it up to 30 feet away. I also added the _disarming_ property to the sword, so you’ll never be able to be disarmed.” 

Neville followed her instructions, and the crystal vanished the moment he touched it to the sword. 

“Is that supposed to happen?” he asked. 

“Yup!” Rose exclaimed. 

Neville’s sword disappeared back inside his gloves. 

“Thanks,” he said. He noticed a small pile of presents beside Rose. “Aren’t you going to open any of _your_ presents?” 

“Later,” Rose said. “Who’s next? Sally-Anne?” 

“I’m not opening my present from you until you open yours from me,” she said. 

Rose pouted at Sally-Anne, but Sally-Anne was backed up by the rest of their friends and Inar, who crossed his tiny arms at Rose. Without taking her eyes off her friend, Rose picked up one of her presents. 

Rose tore through the wrapping paper, revealing another book. The title of this one was _Through the Looking Glass_. 

“It’s about a girl called ‘Alice’,” Sally-Anne said. 

“She finds a place called ‘Wonderland’,” Hermione said. “Which in Latin is, coincidentally, Mirari Terra.” 

“That sounds like Mirari-Terrara,” Luna said as she stroked Tutela’s fur. 

“Huh?” Ron asked, looking to Hermione for an explanation. Instead, he received a death glare, so he turned instead to Sally-Anne. 

“Her older sister’s name is Alice Mirari-Terrara,” Sally-Anne said. “Hermione pointed that out, so we got her a copy of _Through the Looking Glass_ as a sort of joke.” 

“Still a book!” Rose exclaimed, placing it on her lap. 

“That’s what I thought,” Sally-Anne said, laughing. She picked up Rose’s present and began to unwrap it. 

Opening the box, she lifted up a beautiful dress, similar in style to Rose’s, but with no sleeves. It was a lighter shade of green than her ribbon, and sparkled as it caught the firelight. 

“Rose!” Sally-Anne gasped. “I… I don’t know what to say! It’s beautiful!” 

“Designed to fit under other clothing,” Rose said. “I’ll never understand you lot and your weird habit of wearing different clothes.” 

Sally-Anne stared at the dress for a moment, then remembered that everything Rose gave her did something. Rose could easily put together a fine dress, but that was never the highlight of it. 

“What’s it do?” 

“Continuous _sirene’s grace_ ,” Rose said. “Also shiftweave. Among other things, bonus on Charisma, and your Charisma Modifier is applied to your AC.” 

“It’s wonderful!” Sally-Anne said, admiring the dress. “I can’t wait to try it on.” 

“Why wait?” Rose asked. 

“Erm…” Sally-Anne looked around at the occupants of the room. 

“Right!” Rose exclaimed, then nodded to Inar. 

Inar ran over to Sally-Anne, holding a wand in his hand. He ushered Sally-Anne back a few feet, then waved the wand. Darkness crept out from around him, enveloping Sally-Anne in it. Inar stepped out of the darkness, wearing tinted goggles, and folded his arms. 

“Rose, I know you _think_ this is helping, but it’s really not,” Sally-Anne said from inside the darkness. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll distract them,” Rose said, picking up another present. “Inar’s not gonna let anyone pass.” 

“Is that supposed to be menacing?” Hermione asked, looking at Inar. 

“It’s not his fault he didn’t put ranks into Intimidate,” Rose said. “ _No one_ puts ranks into Intimidate except for skill monkeys. Besides, everyone knows you get a circumstance bonus for decapitating someone. Nothing says ‘fear me’ like a–” 

“Severed head on a stick, I remember,” Hermione groaned. 

While Sally-Anne quickly changed into her new dress, Rose opened her present from Luna. She figured from the shape of it that it was another drawing, and she was excited to see it. 

Rose stopped and stared at the picture she held in her hands. All her friends could see was the black and red frame surrounding the picture. 

“Let’s see it!” Ginny shouted. 

Rose gave the same sad little smile she always had when talking about the subjects of the picture. She turned it around and revealed a picture of a man and woman. The man had wavy dark orange hair, and the woman had silky black hair. They were perfect, down to the last detail. 

“Luna, that’s amazing,” Hermione said. 

“Who are they?” Ginny asked. 

“Mum and Dad,” Rose said quietly. She gently placed the picture next to her and wrapped her arms around Luna. 

“Thanks, Moon,” she whispered. 

“You’re welcome, Rose,” Luna said. 

Luna returned her friend’s hug just as Sally-Anne stepped out of Rose’s make-shift changing room into the winter wonderland that the Room of Requirement had created for them. 

“Well?” she asked. She twirled around, allowing her skirt to fan out around her. “What do you think?” 

The emerald green pleated skirt went just past her knees, and her pajama top covered the rest of it. Even then, she looked amazing. Snowflakes landed like glitter on her, making the Gryffindor sparkle in the fake sunlight. Her ribbon, dress, and pendant all came together perfectly, and somehow managed to match her dull gray pajamas. 

Everyone stared at Sally-Anne. No one could believe how wonderful she looked; even Rose hadn’t expected that. 

“Wow,” Ginny breathed. “Rose, can you–” 

“You can literally walk through fire and not get burned,” Rose said. “No.” 

Sally-Anne happily sat down next to Harry, both glad that everything was turning out alright. 

“Rose,” Hermione said, holding up a red box. “Be honest: is this going to explode?” 

“Nope!” 

Hermione narrowed her eyes at her friend, certain that Rose had created yet another over-the-top object for her. Still, Hermione opened it, and found… 

“A hairbrush?” Hermione asked. 

“ _Hairbrush of prestidigitation_ ,” Luna said. 

“That’s it,” Rose added. “No fire, no bonuses, just _prestidigitation_.” 

Hermione looked at the brush, then ran it through her hair. Sure enough, her hair, skin, and clothing were all cleaned instantly. 

“You can also use it to dye your hair if you want,” Luna said. “It only lasts an hour, though.” 

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Hermione said. “Thanks, Rose.” 

“You should thank Moon, too,” Rose said. “It was her idea.” 

“Well, thanks, Luna,” Hermione said. 

“You’re welcome, Brain,” Luna said. 

They all looked around, and saw one present sitting beside Hermione that had yet to be opened. It was Ron’s present, and she didn’t know if she _wanted_ to open it, given how he’d treated her. For all she knew, it was a trick inspired by his brothers. 

“Hermione, it’s just you left,” Sally-Anne said. “Go ahead and open it.” 

“Sure?” Hermione said, looking around at everyone else. Rose had finished opening her presents, the last ones being books from the boys and Ginny, and Rose’s present was the last of Sally-Anne’s gifts. No one else had anything left to open. 

“Here goes,” Hermione muttered, carefully opening the present. 

She couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw it. The cover read “The Arithmancer’s Field Guide – by Christine Burrell”, but the most amazing part was what was written inside. 

“To Hermione,” she read aloud. “I hope this helps you turn the Arithmancy world on its head. Best of luck, Christine Burrell.” 

She looked up at Ron, still not believing what he’d given her. 

“This isn’t supposed to be published until March,” Hermione said. “How…?” 

“Her husband works with Charlie, and it happened that he owed him a favor,” Ron said. “Are we good?” 

“What?” 

“Are you still mad at me?” Ron asked. 

Hermione lost it. After what Ron had done, he thought getting her a silly book would make up for it. _Nothing_ could ever make up for it! They would never be “good”, and nothing Ron did or said would change that! 

“I need a minute,” she said, getting up from the floor and briskly walking to the door. 

“Hermione!” Sally-Anne called, going after her. 

Hermione left the Room of Requirement, all her presents except the book inside her pack, and started walking away. Her friends quickly followed after her. 

“What’s your problem?!” Ron shouted after her. “What did I do?!” 

“You’re joking!” Hermione shot back, whirling around to face him. “How can you not know?!” 

“Come on, you two,” Sally-Anne said. “It’s–” 

“All I did was outsmart you!” Ron shouted. “Is it so important to be cleverer than everyone else?!” 

Hermione stormed up to him, her face turning red. 

“ _That’s_ what you think this is about?!” 

“Well what else is there?! What did I do that’s made you this angry?!” 

“ _You called me ‘Mudblood’!_ ” Hermione screamed. 

For the next few minutes, the only sound they heard were the corridors calling out “ _Mudblood! Mudblood!_ ”. Everyone backed away from Ron as if he had suddenly contracted the plague, making the ginger feel tiny and alone. 

“What?” Ron asked. 

“You drew your wand. I disarmed you, but that strap held your wand on your wrist. You grabbed your wand and threw a Scattering Hex at me. I fell down, then you gloated about the strap. Then you said ‘I guess you’re not so clever after all, Mudblood.’” 

Ron looked at his friends, but none of them would make eye contact with him. He looked back at Hermione and saw that she was starting to cry. 

“I didn’t say that,” he said. 

“I remember everything, Ronald,” Hermione said, fighting hard to keep her voice level. “I’ll always remember it. Right up until the day I die, I’ll remember the day when one of my best friends said my blood was filth.” 

Ron didn’t know what to do. His mind was racing, trying to understand Hermione’s words. Her memory was better than his, but he didn’t remember saying those words. Had he forgotten? How could he have forgotten something like that? 

“I thought you were brilliant,” Hermione said. “When I didn’t believe I could, you convinced me that I could pull a spell out of thin air. I gave you that chess piece so you could look at it and remember the days that you led us to victory. Both the chess match against Professor McGonagall and the fight against the Basilisk. We won those because of you, Ron. I knew how important it was to you, and I didn’t give it to you because you were mad at me.” 

Ron couldn’t believe it. All year he’d believed that no one cared, but Hermione cared all along. He’d done nothing but shout at her when she thought he was amazing. _She_ had treated him with respect, which made her next words sting all the more. 

“But if that’s the way you’re going to be when you win, I don’t want to be around you,” Hermione sobbed. “Don’t talk to me anymore, Ronald.” 

She turned to leave. 

“But–” 

“We’re not friends,” Hermione said, turning back to him. She shook her head. “Not anymore.” 

Hermione walked away from Ron. She didn’t know where she was going, since she needed Rose to help her get back home, but she didn’t care. She just wanted to be away from Ron. 

Ron watched as his friend walked away, then turned to the rest of the group. He could feel the accusatory looks they were giving him without looking, but it was much worse to see. 

Ginny was the first to walk off, followed by Sally-Anne. Neville and even Harry left after them, leaving only Rose and Luna. 

_She’s going to kill me,_ Ron thought. _Who cares?_

“Alright, get it over with,” Ron said. 

Rose shook her head slowly. 

“The two of you need to calm down,” Rose said, “then you can apologize.” 

That didn’t sound like Rose, but Ron didn’t know what to think. The only coherent thought in his mind was _Merlin, what have I done?_

“I’m… I…” 

“It’s alright, Cohort,” Luna said. “You’ll be friends again before you know it.” 

Luna smiled at him before walking off with Rose, Tutela trotting along behind them. 


	16. Love is in the Air

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which love roams free, until it's murdered by hate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** We all love J.K. Rowling for creating Harry Potter.

_Expulsa!_

_As he’d practiced a hundred times, Ron let his arm follow his wand as it tried to escape his hand. He felt the familiar tug of the strap, then tugged back to bring his wand back to him. The second he felt the wood in his hand, he followed through and aimed at the ground._

_Scotoro!_

_He braced himself against his own hex and watched as it knocked his opponent to the ground._

_Brilliant, isn’t it? Got the idea from Colin’s camera._ I _did. No one else;_ me. _And look at that; it was good enough to beat you. I guess you’re not so clever after all,_ Brain. 

“Cohort!” 

Ron snapped to attention and returned to reality. The pain in his stomach still threatened to return his breakfast, and his dizziness didn’t go away, but he forced himself to focus on Rose. 

“If being back here is gonna be a problem, then we’ll quit now,” Rose said. “We’ve got a few weeks to make up, so we don’t have time to waste.” 

Ron nodded absently, only partially taking in what Rose was saying. 

How could he have called Hermione a mudblood? He _hated_ that word. He was certain he’d called her “Brain”, but why did Hermione remember it differently. 

Why wasn’t Rose telling them what had happened. She’d been there, heard everything, but refused to say who was right. 

“Question for you, Cohort,” Rose said. “If I break your right arm, what will you do?” 

“What?!” 

Rose rolled her eyes. 

“If I broke your arm, how would you defend yourself? That strap’s clever, but it doesn’t stop me from taking out your entire arm. What will you do then?” 

Ron didn’t know what sort of question that was, but he figured he’d just use his left hand. It couldn’t be that bad. Neville and Rose got by alright being left-handed. 

For the rest of the day, they drilled casting left-handed. Ron found out that it was a lot harder than he’d originally thought. He couldn’t get off a Summoning Charm with his left hand, nor any other charm. 

“You had the wrong answer,” Rose told him at the end of the hour. “The correct one is ‘I won’t let that happen.’” 

“How am I supposed to stop someone from breaking my arm?!” Ron exclaimed. 

“Professor Flitwick fought the Basilisk without looking at it. Maybe you should ask him.” 

“Cos that worked so well last time,” Ron muttered. 

Ron was in no mood to ask professors anything. Last time he’d gone to a professor for help, it’d ultimately resulted in Hermione screaming at him and refusing to talk to him. 

January turned into February, and still Ron and Hermione refused to talk to one another. Harry and Neville talked with Ron on occasion, but it was mostly to find out what was really going on. Like Ron, no one was sure what to believe. Ron wasn’t so insensitive that he’d call Hermione a mudblood, but Hermione wasn’t melodramatic, so no one believed that she’d made it up. Even Sally-Anne couldn’t figure out what was going on, because both Ron and Hermione believed themselves to be correct. Ron believed that he hadn’t said “mudblood”, but Hermione swore she heard it. 

With the end of February came the Quidditch match between Ravenclaw and Slytherin. 

“All I’m saying is, I’m positive there was only one of these,” Rose said. 

“This is the third match this year,” Harry said. “How can you not have noticed?” 

“It’s Rose,” Hermione said, her nose buried in a book. 

“I never thought I’d say this as a bad thing, but you’re starting to remind me of Shadow,” Rose said. “She likes hiding her face too, but it–” 

“Not now, Rose,” Hermione snapped. 

Harry tried to ignore the feud. He watched the teams take to the sky, paying close attention to the Ravenclaw Seeker. 

Back in November, Cedric Diggory and Cho Chang made their first appearances on the Pitch. Both players had been in reserve, and it was brilliant to see them go against one another for their first match. It’d been a close match, with Ravenclaw coming out just ahead of Hufflepuff, even with Cho catching the Snitch. 

Harry admired both of them, even if they were on opposing teams. He hadn’t been happy at the time, because it’d only been a few weeks before that that he’d lost his Nimbus 2000. 

Looking back on it, Cho moved through the air as if she were born and raised in it. On top of her Quidditch prowess, Cho was awfully pretty. Maybe not as pretty as Sally-Anne, who had received constant praise about her new dress, which was now part of her standard attire, but close. 

Actually, Sally-Anne’s dress was starting to annoy Harry, because she was receiving a lot of attention from other boys. He’d noticed the same thing back at the start of November when Rose had used her wand to make them all better, but it was worse now. 

Sally-Anne didn’t always sit with them at meals, but instead ended up surrounded by a group of second-, third-, fourth-, and even a few fifth-year boys. It wasn’t that different from when Sally-Anne had beaten Malfoy in their duel a year ago, and after she explained it, Harry realized she really didn’t _like_ all the attention. 

Harry of all people understood, and he couldn’t stay angry at her for long. He thought of his friend every time he went out to practice Quidditch, and remembered just how much trouble she went through to get him his Firebolt. 

Harry glanced over at Ron, who was sitting with Fred and George several rows down. Ron had always been excited about Quidditch matches, but now he stared vacantly at the Pitch. Harry couldn’t figure out why it was so different from every other time Ron had been mad at someone. Usually he’d just vent for a while, stubbornly claim that it wasn’t his fault, then finally break down and apologize. What was different about this time? 

It wasn’t that Ron was taking longer to apologize that bothered Harry, it was that his friend was upset. Harry saw the way Ron and Hermione were acting, and it was as if they were _both_ upset by what Ron had said. Did Ron say something and not mean it, or had Hermione somehow misheard him? 

Harry put it out of his mind for the moment and concentrated on the match. The Ravenclaw team moved through the field effortlessly, nearly flying circles around the Slytherin team. Cho drifted silently above the match, searching the Pitch for her prey. Harry knew the second she spotted the Golden Snitch, she’d dive on it like a hawk and snatch it right out from Malfoy’s nose. 

“And it’s over!” 

Harry looked around, trying to figure out what had happened. Everyone looked confused, until they saw Malfoy holding the Golden Snitch. 

“For those of you that missed that, here’s what happened,” Lee Jordan said. “Slytherin caught a lucky break. The Golden Snitch popped up right beside Malfoy, but unlike the last time it did that, he wasn’t preoccupied with taunting Potter.” 

“That’s rubbish!” Harry shouted. 

Three quarters of the spectators joined Harry in his frustration with the match. It was an easy win for Slytherin, but possibly the most boring match anyone had ever seen. Worse than that, it put Slytherin in the lead for the Quidditch Cup. 

“Isn’t it the House Cup?” Rose asked. 

“There’s the House Cup and Quidditch Cup,” Harry explained. “Pay attention!” 

Harry watched as the Ravenclaw team sadly landed on the Pitch. 

“They didn’t even get a chance to play,” Harry said. 

He saw Cho floating to the ground, and heard jeers from Slytherin. She looked like she was about to cry. 

He took off down the stands, hoping to get out before a large crowd gathered. He was towards the front of the crowd that moved off the stands, and just managed to see the Ravenclaw team disappear into the changing rooms. Harry couldn’t go in and talk to them, but he knew the fastest way to get to the entrance. 

He walked quickly around the outside of the pitch, right to the exit to the changing rooms. Harry was so worried about getting there before the team left that he wasn’t actually paying attention to where he was going, and ran right into Cedric as the latter emerged from another exit from the stands. 

“Cedric?” he asked as he climbed to his feet. 

“Sorry, Harry,” he said. “I was just… What are you doing?” 

“Er… nothing,” Harry said quickly. “What are you doing?” 

“Going to see how Cho’s doing,” Cedric said. “Ravenclaw’s awfully competitive when it comes to… everything, and the Slytherin Quidditch team is especially nasty when they want to be.” 

“I didn’t know you and Cho were friends,” Harry said, trying to look past Cedric towards the changing rooms. 

“I guess we are,” Cedric said. “She was the most gracious of her team after they beat us last week. I didn’t think Roger was _ever_ going to stop going on about it.” He glanced behind him, and saw people starting to leave the changing rooms. “We’d better hurry if we want to catch them.” 

“I didn’t say–” Harry began. 

“You didn’t have to,” Cedric said as the boys broke into a quick walk. 

They caught up to Cho, but found that someone else had already got to her. Draco Malfoy, backed up by Crabbe and Goyle, was taunting her about her loss. 

“Oi!” Harry shouted as he and Cedric came up behind Cho. 

“What do you want, Potter?” Malfoy asked. 

“Is there a problem here?” Cedric asked. 

“It’s no concern of yours, Diggory.” 

“It is if you’re hurting one of our friends,” Harry said. 

He knew he and Cho weren’t exactly friends, but he’d take the side of anyone harassed by Draco Malfoy. 

“I didn’t know you were friends with _all_ the losers, Potter,” Malfoy sneered. 

“You got lucky, Malfoy,” Cedric said. 

“Is that how you made yourself feel better when she beat _you_?” 

“Leave them alone, Malfoy!” Cho said. 

“Leave us _all_ alone,” Harry said, “unless you want me to get _Rose_ involved.” 

_That_ touched a nerve. Malfoy glared at Harry, but he quickly lightened up. 

“That’s your solution to everything, isn’t it, Potter?” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Harry shot back. 

“Like anyone actually believes that you just so happened to get a Firebolt for Christmas,” Malfoy sneered. “Everyone knows you got your pet to steal it!” 

“No one stole anything, Malfoy!” Cho snapped. “We all pitched in to help Harry replace his broom.” 

“Unlike you, some of us see our opponents as _people_ ,” Cedric added. “If it’d been me, I’d have been grateful for the help. That’s all _I_ needed to know.” 

Harry couldn’t believe it. He knew Hufflepuff had helped him get his new broom, but he didn’t know that _Cho_ had helped. He didn’t realize that she knew about him outside of being another Seeker. 

Malfoy looked at each of them, his hand inching toward his wand. It was an even match– three on three, if Harry didn’t call in backup. He wasn’t sure how he’d get his friends’ attention, but he knew he’d find a way. 

_Mum says it’s best to shout ‘Fire!’ if you’re ever in any trouble._

That was a thought. Harry wasn’t sure how true Sally-Anne’s words were, but it’d certainly get _Ginny’s_ attention. A small crowd was beginning to amass around them, but Harry didn’t see his friends among the faces. 

“What’s going on here?” 

All six of them turned to see Madame Hooch storming towards them. The small crowd quickly dispersed. 

“You see–” Malfoy began. 

“Not you,” she said. “Diggory, you’re incapable of lying. What’s happening?” 

“Draco was being unsportsmanlike, Madame Hooch,” Cedric said. 

“I was–” 

“Walk away, Malfoy,” Madame Hooch said. “I’m still in charge of Quidditch in Hogwarts, and I _can_ have you suspended. Remember, dumb luck is nothing to gloat about.” 

Harry heard Malfoy mutter something offensive under his breath, then obediently began the walk back to Hogwarts. 

“Chang, don’t let this get you down,” Madame Hooch said. “Stuff happens.” 

“Thank you, Madame Hooch,” Cho said. 

No one said a word until Madame Hooch was out of earshot. 

“Thanks,” Cho said. 

“Don’t mention it,” Cedric said. 

“You alright?” Harry asked. 

“Thanks to my knights in shining armor,” Cho said. 

“Good. I just wanted to stop by, so I’ll catch you two later,” Cedric said. 

He smiled at them before running to catch up to a group of Hufflepuffs. 

After Cedric left, Cho turned to Harry. 

“Would you mind walking me back to Ravenclaw Tower?” Cho asked. 

“Sure,” Harry replied. “Don’t you want to walk with your team?” 

“Not really. They’ll be upset that we lost, and I’ll get blamed.” 

“That’s not fair. It wasn’t your fault.” 

“It won’t last long, but I want to give them time to cool off before I talk to them.” 

Harry nodded. The pair walked in awkward silence until they reached the castle. 

“Did you mean what you said?” Harry asked. “Did you really help with my broom?” 

“Yeah,” Cho said. “Just because you’re on a different team doesn’t mean we can’t be friends.” 

“Friends?” 

“Why not? It looks like you’ve got enough enemies at the moment.” 

“Is it that bad?” 

“I don’t know, but even Granger sits at the Ravenclaw table now. Then there’s Gamp, who goes on and on about how happy she is that Granger’s ‘finally slipping’.” 

That was news to Harry. He had noticed that Hermione wasn’t talking as much as usual during class, but he didn’t think she was falling behind on her schoolwork. Hermione hadn’t shown up to a study session in weeks, but Harry figured it was to avoid Ron, who didn’t show up either. 

“I… I didn’t realize,” Harry said. 

“I’m sorry,” Cho said. “I thought you knew.” 

“I don’t know what’s going on with either of them anymore,” Harry said sadly. “Hermione or Ron. They had this whole fight a few months back, then Ron tried to make up for it on Christmas, but Hermione just blew up at him. And just after me and Sally-Anne stopped fighting.” 

“I noticed,” Cho said. “It’s hard not to notice Perks and her followers.” 

“It’s not her fault. She’s sort of got this way with people, but she’s too nice to tell them to leave her alone.” 

“That’s great for her, but us mere mortals have enough trouble getting attention,” Cho said. “So what happened with you two?” 

“It was this whole thing with Sirius Black and the Dementors.” 

“Oh,” Cho replied. “I’m sure it will be alright. They’ll catch him.” 

The rest of the trip up to the seventh floor was spent talking about Quidditch, or classes, or anything Harry could think of so he didn’t walk in awkward silence with Cho. 

“Thanks for keeping me company,” Cho said when they reached Ravenclaw Tower. 

“Yeah.” 

“Don’t tell anyone I said this, but let Peta-Lorrum know Lovegood shouldn’t sleep here tonight,” Cho said. “Our housemates are still angry, and they’ll take it out on her if not on me.” 

“Thanks, Cho,” Harry said. “I’ll let her know.” 

Harry was on top of the world as he walked back to Gryffindor Tower. He stayed that way through the next few weeks, straight into March. Nothing could bring him down, even though Hermione and Ron certainly tried. 

Their argument was blocked out of Harry’s mind when it came time for the match against Hufflepuff. Harry had played with Cedric on his team before, so he knew the older boy was good, but he had no idea just _how_ good. Even with the Firebolt and Rose’s enchantment, Harry still had trouble outmaneuvering his opponent. 

Part way through the match, Harry picked up something moving on the ground. He looked down and saw a group of four Dementors entering the Pitch. The crowd began to panic, but Harry was ready. He drew his wand, and aimed it at the squad of Dementors. 

“ _Expecto Patronum!_ ” 

An orb of bright light shot out of his wand, straight into the group of Dementors. Instead of flying away as he expected, they toppled to the ground when the Patronus hit them. Looking closer, he saw feet dangling out of one of the cloaks. 

A furious Professor McGonagall stormed out and dragged the “Dementors” away with her. Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and Flint all lost 50 points, and Harry was certain she used the words “detention until your grandchildren graduate.” 

Gryffindor won the match, but Hufflepuff’s offence once again proved to be a force to be reckoned with, as the final score was 280 to 200. 

After the celebration in Gryffindor Tower, Harry pulled Sally-Anne aside. 

“Sally-Anne, can we talk for a moment?” Harry asked. 

“Sure,” Sally-Anne replied. 

They left the common room, and Sally-Anne began to get excited. They didn’t go to the Room of Requirement, but instead just an empty classroom. Whatever it was about which Harry wanted to talk to her, he didn’t want anyone overhearing. 

“There’s something I’ve got to talk about, but I can’t with Ron because… well, it’s Ron. Even if he weren’t all…” 

“Rose calls him ‘mopey’.” 

“Yeah. Even if he weren’t mopey, he still wouldn’t understand, or wouldn’t care.” 

_That probably means it’s not about Quidditch,_ Sally-Anne thought. She resisted the urge to use her pendant to find out what it was. Whatever it was, she wanted to show Harry the respect to let him tell her himself. 

“Harry, you know you can tell me anything,” Sally-Anne said, smiling warmly. She stayed relaxed, accounting for every aspect of her body language. Harry would pick up the slightest hint of hostility and shut her out if she weren’t careful. 

“It’s… erm…” 

Sally-Anne took Harry’s hands in hers. 

“It’s alright, Harry. You can tell me.” 

“It’s… It’s Cho.” 

_What?_

“I really like her, and I’ve got to tell _someone_.” 

Rose had explained to Sally-Anne that there were three main social skills: Bluff, Intimidate, and Diplomacy. Her dress and ribbon, along with the enhancement Rose had given her back in November, all worked toward improving these skills. They made Sally-Anne good at not only helping people open up to her, but at lying to and scaring them as well. So despite how annoyed she was inside, not a trace of it was on her face. 

Sally-Anne smiled at Harry, showing him how happy she was that he was falling for a girl, and how thankful she was that he trusted her enough to tell her about it. 

“How long’s this been going on?” Sally-Anne asked. 

“Just a few months, I guess,” Harry said. He smiled sheepishly and blushed. “I couldn’t believe how brilliant she was at Quidditch. She just soared through the air like… like when a hawk is looking for a mouse, you know? I saw it once on television. She was just starting to do that last match before _Malfoy_ got the Snitch. I just couldn’t believe it.” 

“Lots of girls are good at Quidditch, Harry,” Sally-Anne said, once again without a trace of jealousy in her voice. “What’s different about her?” 

“Most girls don’t look half as pretty as her,” Harry said. “Then I saw her just after the last Quidditch match.” 

_Don’t lose it, Sally-Anne,_ she ordered herself. _The slightest hint that you’re angry, and it’s all over. Just make it to the end, and then vent to someone else._

“You never told us what happened.” 

“I wanted to talk to her, just to see if she was alright.” 

“Harry, that’s so sweet.” 

“Thanks. Anyway, I met up with Cedric, and we found Malfoy and his goons bothering her. I tell him off, and he comes back with this nonsense about me getting Rose to steal my new broom for me.” 

Sally-Anne nearly faltered, but not because of anything with Cho. How had it never occurred to her to have Rose steal the Firebolt? Sure, it would’ve been wrong, but she hadn’t even _thought_ of it. What with how Rose obtained the Sword of Gryffindor for Neville, it should’ve at least crossed her mind. 

“Then Cho said that she contributed to it. Is that true?” 

“Yeah,” Sally-Anne said. “A lot of people did. I accidentally let it slip during Runes, and Max and Ellie overheard. Along with Cedric, they convinced everyone in Hufflepuff to at least give a knut or two. That was a lot on its own, but a few Ravenclaws gave some too.” 

“Speaking of that, there’s something that’s been bothering me,” Harry said. “How’d you manage all that without me noticing?” 

“Hermione and me started it, really. We talked with professors when you weren’t around, or when you were practicing with Rose or the team. That’s actually when we got a lot done. Alex helped out a lot, and so did Angie and Alicia. Rose got Professor Snape to donate a lot by promising not to talk to him for an entire day per sickle he donated. Professor Vector was happy to help Hermione, and Professor Babbling liked helping me. Neville talked with Professor Sprout one Wednesday, and Professor McGonagall liked the idea of Gryffindor having someone with a Firebolt on its Quidditch team. Of course, Professor Dumbledore and Hagrid both really like you, so they gave what they could. In the case of Professor Dumbledore, he got the man at Diagon Alley to hold his last one. Fortunately for us, he reads the _Quibbler_ , and recognized that dog when he saw it.” 

“Sirius Black’s dog?!” Harry asked. 

“Yeah, he was walking around the shop a lot,” Sally-Anne said. “Told us if he hadn’t recognized it as Sirius Black’s dog, he might not have had the Firebolt for us.” 

Sally-Anne still could’ve gone the rest of her life without knowing that. Her mind had flown into a frenzy when she’d heard about it. If Sirius Black was responsible for stealing the only Firebolt in that shop, Harry would’ve gone on a warpath. 

“Wait, why the _Quibbler_? Why not the _Daily Prophet_?” 

“The _Daily Prophet_ won’t publish a picture of the dog from Rose because they don’t trust her as a credible source,” Sally-Anne replied. “She’s practically related to Luna, so her dad didn’t have a problem telling people to be on the lookout for that dog.” 

Sally-Anne was glad to be off the topic of Cho Chang. She wanted to be happy for her best friend, but she was finding it harder the more he mentioned how much he liked another girl. 

“I guess that was lucky for me, then,” Harry said. “It really helped today. Hufflepuff would’ve flown all over us if I didn’t have my new broom. Not to mention, I’ll need it in a few months when I’m going up against Cho.” 

_And we’re back to her._

“Am I talking too much?” Harry asked. 

_Keep smiling! You can do this!_

“Not at all,” Sally-Anne said. “Go on.” 

“After Madame Hooch got everyone to walk away, I walked Cho back to Ravenclaw Tower. She’s really nice. We talked about Quidditch, and classes, and even Sirius Black came up. I think you might like her.” 

_Wanna bet?_

“She’s a lot like you, I guess, but… well, you and me are just mates. I wouldn’t think of you as a girlfriend, just my best friend.” 

Sally-Anne shoved every emotion that sentence produced aside. She wasn’t sure to whom she was going to vent, but she already felt bad for them. 

_Rose, I need to have an emergency training session. I need you to teach me to blow up anything that moves._

“Maybe we’ll get along,” Sally-Anne said. “I’m glad you’re so happy about her. Like my mum says, don’t go overboard.” 

“I don’t think that’ll be a problem,” Harry said. “I’ve got a good feeling about this.” He stood up and smiled at Sally-Anne. “Thanks for listening, Sally-Anne. You’re a good friend.” 

“Thanks for opening up to me, Harry,” Sally-Anne said. “It means a lot.” 

The two exchanged a quick hug before Harry started back towards Gryffindor Tower. 

Sally-Anne went down to the first floor. She jogged straight to one of the bathrooms and flung open the door. 

“Sally-Anne!” Myrtle exclaimed. “How are you?” 

“I’ve gotta vent,” Sally-Anne said. “Do you mind?” 

“What’s bothering you?” 

“I’ve spent _years_ working to get Harry to open up to me. When I first met him, Harry hardly spoke a word! Now he’s practically spilling his guts to that _jato_!” 

“What’s a ‘jato’?” Myrtle asked. 

“A curse word Rose uses,” Sally-Anne said as she began to pace up and down the bathroom. “She waltzes in with her ‘good looks’ and her ‘I’m amazing at Quidditch’ routine. I can’t believe her! I can’t believe _him_! If no one ever smiled at him, I’d think he just fell for her because she smiled at him! I smile at him all the time! And I’m ten times nicer than she is!” 

“Who?” 

“Cho Chang, the Ravenclaw Seeker. Harry likes her, but I’m ‘not girlfriend material’ or something. _Dürah_!” 

“Another Rose word?” Myrtle asked. 

“Yeah. I mean, come on! I’ve got a flock of boys following me so much it’s annoying!” 

“I’m sure,” Myrtle said sourly. 

“Sorry.” 

“No, keep going,” Myrtle said. “I never had friends, so I never got to listen to someone rant.” 

Sally-Anne stopped in her tracks. 

“Seriously? I mean, you’re happy about this?” 

“Not that you’re mad, but I like feeling involved.” 

“Oh,” Sally-Anne said, picking up where she left off. “I guess I should be grateful that he at least told me ‘Hey, Sally-Anne, I think you’re great, but this other girl’s better. Sorry!’ Ugh! I saved his life last year! Did _she_ save his life?! No! Did _her_ mum tell off his uncle and get him to sign the Hogsmeade form for Harry?! No! Did she organize an entire fundraiser to get Harry a new broom?! _No!_ I don’t care if she helped, the entire thing was my idea! _Hermione_ did more than her! But she mentions that she helped, and Harry’s suddenly love-stricken! Doesn’t he notice when I do anything?!” 

Sally-Anne ranted for nearly half an hour, all the while pacing back and forth. Sometimes she shouted, sometimes she spoke normally. The entire time she was venting, Myrtle listened patiently. 

“Alright,” Sally-Anne panted. “I’m done.” 

She collapsed on the floor, worn out from shouting and pacing for so long. 

“I’m really sorry, Sally-Anne,” Myrtle said. 

“Thanks, but I’ll be alright,” Sally-Anne said, smiling. “I just needed to get that out of my system.” 

“Like you said, there are lots of other boys,” Myrtle said. 

“Yeah, but without my dress or ribbon, they won’t care. The only boys that do are Ron, Harry, and Neville. Maybe Max, but I think he and Ellie are an item.” 

“What about Ron or Neville?” Myrtle asked, sitting beside Sally-Anne (as much as a ghost could). 

“I’m not going near Ron or Hermione right now,” Sally-Anne said. “They’re in the middle of a huge fight. I don’t want to get into it. Neville’s okay, I guess. He’s sweet, but it’s a different sort of sweet than Harry. Besides, I think he likes Rose.” 

Sally-Anne glanced around the bathroom. 

“Have you got a clock?” 

“Why would I need one?” 

“Good point,” Sally-Anne said. “I’ve got to get going. Thanks so much for listening, Myrtle.” 

“Thanks for thinking of me, Sally-Anne,” Myrtle said. 

“That’s what friends do. If I die, we’re gonna have the most fun two girls have ever had.” 

They laughed as Sally-Anne left the bathroom. She turned to head back to Gryffindor Tower. 

“Well, isn’t this an interesting development?” 

Sally-Anne paled and whirled around to face Draco. Accompanying him were Crabbe and Goyle, along with their newest recruit. Attached to Draco’s arm was Pansy Parkinson, one of the Slytherin girls. She wore the same smug look on her face that Draco did. 

“What?” Sally-Anne asked curtly. 

“You and Potter,” Draco said. “I can sort of see that.” 

“I’d say one of you was beneath the other, but I’d have to decide who first,” Pansy said. 

_Was that supposed to sound clever?_ Sally-Anne wondered. 

“I take it from your rant just now that he doesn’t know,” Draco continued. “It’d be a shame if someone were to tell him.” 

“Draco, please don’t tell him,” Sally-Anne said. 

“Oh, don’t worry, we won’t,” Draco said. “Just so long as you do something for _us_.” 

Sally-Anne didn’t like any part of this, but there was nothing she could do. She didn’t know how to cast a memory charm, and she couldn’t contact Rose or Hermione to have one of them do it for her. She was stuck. 

“What do you want?” 

“What’s the password to Gryffindor Tower?” Draco asked. 

Was that it? He literally had her in his pocket, and all he wanted was the password to Gryffindor Tower, which changed _daily_. 

“Unicorn Horn,” Sally-Anne said. 

“How do we know you’re telling the truth?” Pansy asked. 

“Because if I lie to you, then you go blabbing to everyone you see. I can’t tell anyone, because I’d have to tell them what you’ve got on me.” 

Draco smirked, and Sally-Anne’s skin crawled. 

“I’m glad we understand one another,” he said coolly. “Nice talking to you, _Mudblood_.” 

Draco and his gang pushed passed her. Sally-Anne stood still until she was sure they were gone, then pressed her back to the wall. She slid down and started to cry. 

_Harry likes another girl and not me, and now Draco knows everything._

She was startled by Crookshanks, who hopped into her lap and curled up. Sally-Anne didn’t even ask why he was there. She stroked his fur until she settled down, then the two of them returned to Gryffindor Tower. 

* * *

That night, Rose tucked Luna into Rose’s bed. When she was confident that Tutela would keep Luna safe, she left Gryffindor Tower. She walked through the quiet castle, careful not to pass by any prefects. Rose stopped when she reached the Astronomy Tower, then climbed the steps to the top of the tower. 

She needed time to think. She’d made little progress on Hufflepuff’s Cup, and the fight between her friends was getting to her. 

Rose looked up at the stars peacefully staring at them from above. They never interacted, but always watched. The stars watched people wage wars, betray friends, and fall in love. They were the reason Rose was there, although it made her think of someone else. The _other_ silent watcher at Hogwarts. 

“Sally, are you there?” Rose asked. 

“ _Hello, Little Rosie,_ ” came the smooth voice of Sally. 

“How long have you been here?” Rose asked. 

“ _Hmm… Around 943 years, give or take. One tends to lose track after a time._ ” 

“How do you see people?” 

“ _Why?_ ” 

“Dad said the stars watch the world grow old. They see us at our best and at our worse. He wondered what they must think of us.” 

“ _That’s easy. The world is cold. People come, and people go. Would you like to know a secret?_ ” 

“Sure.” 

“ _Your name is one of the few that I’ve bothered to memorize._ ” 

Rose nodded, not knowing if Sally could even see her. She didn’t remember the names of Neville’s roommates that weren’t Harry or Ron. She didn’t know if Ginny _had_ other roommates, or if other Slytherins existed outside of Butterhead and his goons, whose names she _also_ didn’t know. 

“It’s easier not to get attached,” Rose muttered. 

“ _Quite right,_ ” Sally said. “ _I’m surprised you haven’t figured that out yet, Little Rosie._ ” 

“I’ll tell you a secret too, Sally. I’ve thought about it before. When Brain and Cohort were fighting before, I thought ‘If I didn’t care, then I can just go and talk to Shadow.’ I’m not like you; I can’t just stop caring.” 

“ _Don’t worry, Little Rosie, you’ll learn. Once you lose one of them, you’ll learn._ ” 

Rose thought about Little Moon, lying safe inside Gryffindor Tower, protected by Tutela. Brain was doing alright, but Cohort wasn’t ready yet. Toad and Firecracker might do alright for a time, but they’d wear down eventually. Rose couldn’t leave yet, because she _would_ lose one of them if she did. 

“Is that how you learned?” Rose asked. 

For a while, there was silence. Rose watched the stars, waiting for Sally’s reply, but none came. 

“I see you’re shy, so I’ll tell you what I know,” Rose said. “I know that Salazar Slytherin had three children: two boys and a girl. The girl was the youngest of them. She died young.” 

“When you went to Arcrel, you were nearly killed simply for being Human. That little girl was killed simply for being a witch.” 

Rose looked beside her and saw a little boy with green hair. He sat down beside Rose and watched the stars with her. 

“You’re Salazar Slytherin,” Rose said. “I worked it out over the summer.” 

“You mean Shadow worked it out for you.” 

“You hate Muggle-born students because you don’t trust Muggles. You didn’t believe that purebloods were inherently better than Muggle-borns, you just didn’t trust them after what they did to your daughter.” 

Sally nodded. 

“She was burned at the stake because they were afraid of her,” he said. “I didn’t find out about it until a week later. She died screaming and alone, abandoned by the father who swore to protect her.” 

“What was her name?” 

“What was the dragon’s name?” 

Once again, silence fell between them. Neither wanted to let the other one in, but Rose remembered something Carolina had once told her. 

_Making bad choices doesn’t make someone a bad person. There’s no such thing as a bad person. I hold onto hope that if I show someone enough kindness, they’ll make a good choice. But I’ve got to show them that kindness first._

“Valignatiejir.” 

“Rosalind.” 

That brought up a lot of questions, but Rose didn’t think she would get any answers out of Sally. 

“I’m sorry she was killed,” Rose said. 

“I’m sorry he tortured you, but these things happen,” Sally said. “I can’t stop them, Little Rosie, and neither can you. One day, you’ll figure out the most important lesson of all: the only way to be truly happy is not to care. One day, you’ll realize that they’re all NPCs. You don’t age, and they do. One day, you’ll stand over them as they die of old age, and you’ll look exactly as you do now.” 

Sally paused to allow his words to sink in. When Rose didn’t say anything, he continued. 

“Just think about how easy it’d be to forget about them and end everything right now.” He pointed at a Dementor flying through the night sky. “You could kill it right now. Only you and I would know. It’d be easier than destroying a Spektre. The only thing stopping you is what would happen to your friends if you did. They’re your weakness, Little Rosie. The Potions Master exploited it, I exploited it, and it’s only a matter of time before other people start doing the same.” 

Rose thought about it. She knew she’d have to watch them die one day, but she didn’t know where she’d be. She didn’t know when she would return home, or in what state she’d find it when she did. As much as Rose wanted to go home, she didn’t want to leave the people here either. 

“It will be just the two of us, Little Rosie, until the end of time,” Sally said. “You’ll have to stop caring about them eventually. Maybe we’ll be friends.” 

“You tried to kill my friends!” Rose hissed. 

“I needed your attention.” 

“You’re stopping me from talking to my family right now!” 

“Same reason.” 

“You allowed that book to possess my little sister!” 

“Only because you ignored me when I first asked for your help.” 

“You didn’t ask for help, you wanted to study me!” 

“I needed your help,” Sally said. “Hufflepuff’s Cup is one of a few items I require to correct a mistake. You’re the only person in Hogwarts that can hear me; I learned that during your first year, and learned that you had the capability to defend yourself shortly thereafter.” 

Rose thought back to her first year at Hogwarts. 

“You saw that I could hear the castle,” Rose said. “You sent that dragon after us.” 

“I sent it after _you_ , Little Rosie,” Sally said. “I had no idea that you’d react the way you did. Cruentius attacked you in the Chamber of Secrets last year for the same reason.” 

“How well guarded are these items?” Rose asked. 

“Heavily. The defences on each item are crafted to stop all attempts at recovering each object. It will be child’s play for you, Little Rosie.” 

Rose smirked, but it faded when she remembered with whom she was speaking. 

“I get it,” Rose said. “I don’t like it, but I–” 

<Milady!>

“As much as I’m not enjoying our date, Tutela summoned me.” 

“Go to them,” Sally said. “Enjoy your time with the NPCs while they’re still alive.” 

Sally melted into the ground, and Rose burst into rose petals. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **To paraphrase the Joker:** “Will anyone every admit their true feelings? Will true love conquer all? Not in _my_ fanfiction!”


	17. Life is but a Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Luna gets harassed by Ravenclaws, but learns a valuable lesson.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** J.K. Rowling is living the dream while owning Harry Potter.

Luna woke up the next morning as happy as ever. She got dressed, sans shoes, which had gone missing again, then gathered her books for the day. After a quick check for her missing shoes, she walked down to the Ravenclaw common room and left to go to breakfast. 

On her way to the Great Hall, Luna bumped into the Grey Lady, Ravenclaw House’s resident ghost. 

“Good morning,” Luna said. 

“Hello, Luna,” the Grey Lady replied. “Still can’t find your shoes?” 

“Not yet,” Luna replied. “I still think nargles took them. They like to do that sort of thing.” 

“I’m sure they’ll turn up when you least expect it,” the ghost replied. 

While Luna ate her breakfast, an owl dropped a copy of the latest issue of the _Quibbler_ in front of her. She began reading it as soon as it landed. 

“Anything good?” asked one of her housemates. 

“It’s not bad, but not one of my favorites,” Luna replied. “I think the rune puzzle’s one of the best, though.” 

“Nothing about wrackspurts?” another housemate asked. 

“Of course not. We had an article about them two issues ago. It’d be silly to do another one so soon without anything new to report.” 

Both housemates burst out laughing. After trying and failing to figure out the joke, Luna returned to reading the _Quibbler_. 

After breakfast, Luna gathered her things and headed to class. Potions wasn’t so bad, even if no one would work with her unless they had to. Luna almost always ended up working with one of the Hufflepuffs, since the Ravenclaws quickly paired off so they wouldn’t be forced to work with her. Even the Hufflepuffs didn’t like working with her, but it wasn’t their fault. 

“Where you going, Loony?” 

Luna looked behind her and saw some older Ravenclaws following her. She could never remember their names, but she was certain they changed them every day. 

“I’m going to Potions, of course,” Luna replied. “Where are you all off to?” 

“Doesn’t Snape have a rule against showing up barefoot?” one of them sneered. 

“I can’t remember,” Luna said. “I don’t think he likes it, but I can’t find my shoes again.” 

Luna knew how this ended. It ended with her books knocked to the floor, her housemates laughing, and her showing up late to class. She lost points, but she didn’t mind; Gryffindor always won the House Cup anyway. Her housemates were mean to her, but then she’d go to Charms or Transfiguration, and they wouldn’t bother her. Herbology was nice too, and she really liked Professor Lupin, so Defence Against the Dark Arts wasn’t so bad. 

Classes had never been a problem; _getting_ to class was the real challenge. 

“Maybe nargles took them,” one of her housemates said. 

“That’s what I think,” Luna said. “I’m not sure, although I like feeling the stone under my feet. I don’t mind going barefoot, but I’d rather not ruin my stockings again.” 

Fortunately, Professor McGonagall always fixed her stockings for her when they ripped. None of the other professors did, but they probably wanted to let Professor McGonagall do it. Luna had small things she liked to do too, like reading or watching animals. She had thought it interesting when the spiders all ran out of the castle the last year, even if she never found out why. 

“So what?” one of the girls asked. “When mine are torn, I just send them home and have mum fix them.” 

Luna flinched. 

“Yeah, like her dad could fix them,” one of the boys scoffed. “He’s too busy writing that fake newspaper.” 

Luna tightened her grip on her books and looked down at the floor. Her dad was so proud of _The Quibbler_. Why didn’t anyone else like it? Why were they all so mean? 

_He’s got every right to be. At least it’s not controlled by the government._

The other students began to laugh, and Luna forced herself to smile. Everything would be fine if she could just get to class. 

_You’ll love Professor Snape. He and I are best friends!_

“Oi!” 

Luna turned around to see a boy with a Gryffindor crest on his robes standing behind her. He didn’t look terribly confident in himself, but Luna was still happy to see him. 

“What do you want, Longbottom?” asked a Ravenclaw. 

“L-leave her alone,” Neville ordered. 

“Or what?” 

_Don’t you know I’m the Grand Queen of Hogwarts and picking on other students is punishable by slow, painful torture?_

“Afraid we’ll upset your little girlfriend?” 

“S-stop it,” Neville stammered. 

“‘S-stop it’,” one of the Ravenclaws imitated. “Listen to you. Aren’t Gryffindors supposed to be brave?” 

“Besides, we weren’t talking to _you_ , Longbottom, we were talking to _Loony_.” 

The Ravenclaws started to laugh, and Neville took a step back. 

_Why doesn’t he pull out the Sword of Gryffindor?_ Luna wondered. _Where are his gloves? What day is it? Did he forget them? I like cake, especially with chocolate. I wonder what we’re doing in Potions today. Where are you? Has he got his gloves?_

“Or… Or I’ll…” Neville stammered. 

“It’s alright, Neville,” Luna said quietly. “I’m not worth it.” 

Luna smiled at Neville. She knew how this went; anyone who stood up for her suffered the same fate. The same thing happened to the Hufflepuffs that had tried to work with her in Potions, and the first-years that had tried to be nice to her a few months back. Everyone that stood by Luna was broken down by her tormentors, leaving Luna completely alone. 

_Spread the word: Luna Lovegood is under my protection, and anyone who crosses her, crosses me!_

Luna watched Neville run off, then checked to make sure she didn’t have any loose pieces of parchment in her notebooks. Sure enough, the group of older students, satisfied that they had made her life miserable, knocked her books out of her hands on their way past her. 

Luna waited for them to leave, then collected her books. One piece of parchment fell out while she was collecting them. It was a drawing she had done of her imaginary hero. She wore a black dress, red cloak, and had crimson hair. The girl grinned back at Luna, as if to reassure her that everything was going to be alright. 

“Why can’t you be real?” she whispered. 

Luna skipped Potions that day. She felt bad for the person that might have to work alone, but she couldn’t go to class. With tears falling down her cheeks, Luna made her way to somewhere she knew she could hide. 

The bathroom door slammed shut behind her as she flung open the door to an empty stall. 

_My uncle told me it’s alright to cry, just so long as you never cry about the same thing twice._

“What if you do?” Luna whispered. 

_Then you just didn’t finish crying the first time._

Luna put her books down on the toilet, then started crying. 

_I can get through this,_ she told herself. _I just need a minute._

_Of course you can, Little Moon. They’re afraid of you because you’re different. People were afraid of me too, but my brother says you win by not being afraid._

“I wish you were real,” Luna whispered. “I wish you weren’t only a dream.” 

“Hello?” 

Luna looked up, then drew her legs to her chest so the other girl wouldn’t find her. 

“I saw you crying,” the voice said. “Is everything alright?” 

“It’s nothing,” Luna said softly. 

“Crying’s never nothing,” the girl said. “Last time I was crying in here a troll nearly killed me.” 

Knowing who the other girl was, Luna unlocked the stall and slowly opened the door. A bushy-haired Gryffindor stood before her, a sad, crooked smile on her face. 

“Luna, right?” she asked. 

“Yes,” Luna said softly. “Hello, Hermione.” 

“Come on out,” Hermione said, motioning towards the rest of the bathroom. “It’s alright.” 

“I just need a minute,” Luna said. “I’ll be fine.” 

“You don’t look fine. Why don’t you tell me what’s wrong?” 

Luna wasn’t sure if she could trust Brain. No, that wasn’t right. She said she’d been attacked by a troll in the bathroom, not the corridor, so it was just Hermione. Was she still nice? Brain was nice, wasn’t she? Hermione wasn’t too different from Brain. 

“How come you’re not wearing shoes?” Hermione asked. 

“I can’t find them. The same thing happened last year, so I know they’ll turn up.” 

“Is that what’s bothering you?” Hermione asked. 

Luna saw Hermione’s eyes dart down and catch a glimpse of her picture. 

“That’s very good,” Hermione said. “Did you draw that?” 

Luna nodded. 

“Who is that?” 

“She’s called Rose,” Luna said. “Rose Peta-Lorrum. I dreamed her.” 

“What’s she like?” 

“She’s nice, and stands up for other people.” 

Luna began to cry again. She forced herself to smile, but couldn’t force the tears to stop. 

“What’s wrong?” 

“I forget she isn’t real sometimes,” Luna said. “I get confused.” 

“I understand,” Hermione said. “When I was a little girl, I wanted some brave hero to come and save me, too. The closest I’ve got are Harry and Ron.” 

“What about Sally-Anne?” Luna asked. 

“Sally-Anne Perks? The girl that dropped out after a few months?” 

“Oh,” Luna said. “I’m sorry, I got confused.” 

“Stress can do that,” Hermione replied. “I read somewhere that stress can make you hallucinate, even remember things that didn’t happen.” 

Luna nodded. That did happen sometimes. She hated it when it did, especially when she forgot about her mum. It felt like her mum kept coming back and dying all over again because she kept forgetting. 

“You shouldn’t be nice to me,” Luna said. “Neville tried earlier, and they laughed at him for it.” 

“It’s not so easy to get me down,” Hermione said. “I was attacked by a troll in this very bathroom two years ago, and a basilisk not far from the library last year. This year we’ve got Dementors outside and a madman on the loose. Something happens every year, and my friends always end up at the center of it.” 

Luna looked down at the picture of Rose. She couldn’t remember what had happened anymore. Hadn’t Rose killed the troll? Then Ginny killed the Basilisk, didn’t she? Or had Harry killed the Basilisk with the Sword of Gryffindor? No, Neville always used the Sword of Gryffindor. 

“Neville should get a sword. He’s good with one.” 

“Erm… Okay.” Hermione backed out of the stall. “Are you feeling better, then?” 

“I think so,” Luna said. “I still don’t think I’m up for Potions. I think I’ll stay here for a while.” 

“I haven’t got class for an hour,” Hermione said. “Why don’t we stay here and talk?” 

After she left the bathroom with Hermione, Luna went to Defence Against the Dark Arts. She sat with Ginny, the one other person that didn’t care how much the Ravenclaws harassed her. 

“You think I can’t take it?!” she shouted at them. “Have you _met_ my brothers?! Bring it on!” 

Hermione and Ginny helped her through the rest of the day. It wasn’t a perfect day, but it was better than it had been. At the end of it, Luna curled up under her warm covers and went to sleep, hoping to dream of a better world. 

* * *

Luna awoke to the sound of Tutela barking. She looked around the room and saw Brain and Princess rousing from their beds. 

“What’s going on?” groaned one of the other girls. “Lovegood, why is your dog barking when the sun’s not up?” 

Luna climbed out of bed and knelt down beside Tutela. 

“It’s alright, girl,” Luna said softly. 

“Rose!” 

Luna turned towards the sound of Toad’s voice. 

“Come on,” Princess said, running down the stairs. Brain and Luna followed close behind her, with Tutela at their heels. The girls collected Alex as they went, with Firecracker not far behind them. There were murmurs from all around them, mostly that of people telling them to go back to sleep. 

“What’s going on?” Alex asked Neville when they reached the bottom of the stairs. 

Neville, Harry, and Percy stood in the common room. Percy and Harry stood over Ron, who was sitting on one of the couches. 

“It was him,” he said. “Sirius Black–” 

“What’s going on?” Rose asked as she appeared in the common room. 

Luna smiled when she saw Rose, then rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. 

“Peta-Lorrum, where were you?” Percy asked. 

“Not important; why’d Tutela call me?” 

“Sirius Black was here,” Ron said again. “He–” 

“He’s mine!” Rose shouted, turning in place towards the portrait. She sprinted out of the room, phasing straight through the wall. 

Sally-Anne knelt down beside Ron. 

“What happened?” she asked softly. 

“I woke up, and he was standing over me. He had a knife in his hand, and he slashed my curtains. He ran off when I got up.” 

“He’s right,” Neville said. “His curtains were torn, so we tried to get everyone as quickly as we could.” 

“What is all the noise about?” Professor McGonagall asked as she entered the common room. “I know you all like a party, but it’s time–” 

“Sirius Black was here, Professor,” Alex said. “He went after Ron.” 

“What?!” Professor McGonagall shouted. “Where’s Peta-Lorrum?” 

“Trying to catch up to him,” Luna replied. “She’s going after him before too many people go looking so she can use _speak with anything_ to get his trail from the stones.” 

“Good,” Professor McGonagall said. 

What Luna didn’t tell them was that Rose couldn’t use _greater dimension jumper_ to improve her speed, nor could she go her full speed while tracking. Even if all Rose needed to do was to ask the stones for directions, that meant she’d need to stop at nearly every junction and couldn’t break into a full sprint. Luna also knew that Rose wouldn’t dare leave the grounds, otherwise she risked an attack happening before she returned. 

Even knowing that Rose had little to no chance of catching up to Sirius Black, unless the escaped convict was an extremely slow runner, Luna knew that if anyone could figure out a way, it was Rose. 

“Percy, Alexandra, you two stay here. No one is to be let out of the common room. I’m going to go rouse the rest of the staff and we’ll search the grounds.” 

“I’m not sure that’s necessary,” Luna said. 

“Ms. Lovegood, you shouldn’t even be here,” Professor McGonagall said. “I’m making an allowance, but do _not_ start telling me how to do my job.” 

Luna nodded, but she still disagreed with the Deputy Headmistress’s course of action. The only way Sirius Black could escape Rose was by beating her to the edge of the wards. He couldn’t hide from Rose, unless he used a passage she’d never seen before, and those didn’t exist. Reflectesalon could detect secret doors, so Rose had familiarized herself with all the secret passageways back in September. 

“Luna, _why_ don’t you think it’s necessary to search the castle?” Alex whispered. 

“Because Sirius Black has got to outrun Rose. She can get his trail no matter what.” 

“Right.” 

Luna liked Alex. She didn’t ask silly questions like “How is Rose getting his trail?” or “What’s _greater dimension jumper_?” 

A burst of rose petals signaled Rose’s failure to catch Sirius Black. 

“Don’t bother searching the castle,” Rose said. “He got away.” 

“What do you mean, Ms. Peta-Lorrum?” Professor McGonagall asked. 

“Short version: I can’t leave the wards. I mean, I _can_ , but it’s not a good idea. Tell you later. Good news: I now know how the dog fits into all of this.” 

“How?” Professor McGonagall asked curtly. 

“Sirius Black doesn’t _own_ the dog; he _is_ the dog.” 

“Are you saying he’s an animagus?” 

“Yes,” Rose said. “He changed into the dog while he was escaping, but I can’t track and run at the same time; I’m not a Ranger. He outran me as a dog, beat me to the edge of the wards, so I had to turn back. He also used two different secret passageways on his way out. I’ll give him this: he knows his way around the castle. He was on the grounds before you got here.” 

“How do you know that?” Professor McGonagall asked. 

_It’s like asking someone if they want ice cream. That’s a silly question. Tutela told her._

“Tutela told me,” Rose replied. “I’ve got telecomm with her for miles.” 

“She means telepathic communication,” Hermione explained. 

_I want ice cream._

“And you’re certain of this?” Professor McGonagall asked. 

“Yes.” 

“Then the only question that remains is how he got inside Gryffindor Tower,” Professor McGonagall said, turning back towards the entrance. “Sir Cadogan!” 

She left Gryffindor Tower, but returned within a minute. By then, more students were joining them in the common room. 

“Everyone, there has been a break in. Sirius Black got inside Gryffindor Tower and made an attempt on Ronald Weasley. According to Sir Cadogan, _who will be removed by the morning_ , Black possessed tonight’s password. Given that it wasn’t a password yesterday, someone must have told him _today_. Would anyone care to admit to this now?” 

There were several murmurs from around the room, but no one confessed to giving Sirius Black the password. 

“Very well, we will get to the bottom of this, but not until tomorrow. No one is to leave Gryffindor Tower until I come in tomorrow morning. That includes my prefects. You six will stay here to ensure that this happens. Now, why don’t you all get some sleep?” 

As everyone began to walk back up to their rooms, Professor McGonagall called Rose over. Luna sat down on the floor with Tutela. 

“Ms. Peta-Lorrum, ignoring for a moment both the dog and Ravenclaw that shouldn’t be here, why weren’t _you_ here?” 

“How do you–” 

“Because if you _were_ , then Sirius Black wouldn’t have got past you. Where were you?” 

“The Astronomy Tower, getting some fresh air to clear my head.” 

“I appreciate your honesty,” Professor McGonagall said. “You are to stand guard in the common room, so something like this never happens again. That means until Sirius Black is in custody, you are never to break curfew again. Do I make myself clear?” 

“Yes, but Tutela’s not a dog.” 

“Good. And whatever it–” 

“She.” 

“Whatever she is, Ms. Lovegood has received enough special treatment simply by being allowed to stay here. You all know full well that the only pets we allow are toads, owls, rats, and cats.” 

“I–” 

Professor McGonagall raised her hand, and the whole world went silent. 

Luna wondered how she did that. Was it some sort of spell, or did she condition people from birth to respond to it? Luna raised her hand, but nothing happened. Maybe it only worked for Professor McGonagall. How had she managed that? 

“We will discuss it after Sirius Black has been caught and the Dementors have been removed from Hogwarts. Until then, the rest of the staff and I are keeping a list of everything you do. Know that you _will_ be punished for every broken rule.” 

What were they planning to do? Luna knew Rose didn’t respond to any standard discipline. Until the day came when Professor Dumbledore figured out how to take XP away from Rose, there was nothing he could do, unless he convinced Brain to talk to Sk’lar or Ozerl. 

“Good night to you all,” Professor McGonagall said, then promptly left the common room. 

* * *

Sunday wasn’t a particularly busy day for the group, so they didn’t spend a lot of time in the common room. The air was warming up, although they still didn’t want to go outside. Rose refused to leave Luna’s side, so she wouldn’t go with them to Hogsmeade, and only Harry had any success casting a Patronus charm, so they could only agree to take a single carriage. 

Since Hermione still refused to be in the same room with Ron if at all possible, much less share a carriage, Harry, Neville, Sally-Anne, and Ron went on their own, and Hermione and Rose stayed behind. 

Thus, it was Rose, Hermione, and Luna that saw them first. The Fat Lady’s portrait had been replaced at the entrance to Gryffindor Tower, but with additional security. Two large, hulking trolls stood on either side of the entrance. They remained alert as they glowered at everything and everyone, holding their clubs at the ready. 

Hermione turned nearly as pale as Rose and screamed when she saw them. 

“It’s alright,” Rose said, pulling her away from Gryffindor Tower and the trolls. “I can get us past them.” 

Luna didn’t understand the purpose of the trolls. Rose could make something much better for guarding the entrance than trolls. Why hadn’t Professor Dumbledore asked her? 

“That’s a good question, Moon,” Rose said when Luna brought it up. “Let’s go ask him.” 

The three girls began the trip to Professor Dumbledore’s office, but ran into the man himself on their way. 

“Good afternoon, ladies,” he said. 

“‘Rose, I need help guarding the entrance to Gryffindor Tower’,” Rose said, poorly imitating Professor Dumbledore’s voice. “No problem, Professor. I’ll just make an iron golem that’s immune to magic, breathes toxic gas, and can _crush your head like a grape!_ ” 

Luna looked from Professor Dumbledore to Rose. She couldn’t argue with Rose; she had a point. Iron golems _could_ do all those things. 

“I take it you’ve seen the trolls?” 

“My best friend’s worst fear is guarding her room,” Rose said. “Yeah, we saw them.” 

“And naturally, you’ve got a better idea?” 

“Iron golem, bronze serpent,” Rose said. 

“Nimblewrights,” Luna added. 

“Nimblewrights,” Rose repeated. “Good one, Moon.” 

Luna smiled with pride, which, as Firecracker had pointed out, wasn’t much different from her normal smile. 

“How many of those can you make?” Professor Dumbledore asked. 

“All of them,” Rose and Luna replied. 

“Which one takes the least amount of time?” 

“A single nimblewright will take me a little over a week if I work on it 16 hours a day,” Rose said. 

“Can’t you use _Serendipity_?” Luna asked. 

“Only for the body, although that’s a lot of the work right there,” Rose said. “Four and a half days if I do it that way.” 

“In your opinion, Rose, how many nimblewrights could replace a security troll?” Professor Dumbledore asked. 

Rose tilted her head, meaning that she was thinking about it. Luna wondered about it too. Nimblewrights were quick and had a high chance for a critical hit. A nimblewright’s AC was most likely higher than a troll’s, and it got two attacks in a full-round attack that probably did as much as a troll’s club. 

“One is probably enough to replace a single troll,” Rose said. “I can make two just in case, but I’ll need a pass from class, and those things gone while I’m working.” 

Luna glanced over at Brain. She hadn’t spoken a word the entire time. That wasn’t like her; she always had _something_ to say. Was she still afraid of the troll that had attacked her in the bathroom? Or had it been the third-floor corridor? No, that didn’t sound right, it was the first-floor corridor. That was it! 

“I’m afraid that’s not possible,” Professor Dumbledore said. “The Fat Lady insisted that she receive additional protection.” 

“What about animated statues?” Luna asked, drawing the attention of all three of her companions. 

“How do you mean?” Professor Dumbledore asked. 

“Rose said Professor McGonagall has animated statues. Why not enchant some to only recognize and react to Sirius Black? Wouldn’t it be easy to have them recognize him as a human and as a dog?” 

Luna was pleased with herself. It was an obvious solution, so Professor Dumbledore must’ve already thought about it. He and Rose were just letting Luna figure it out on her own. They were so nice like that! 

“It may not be that simple,” Professor Dumbledore said. “Although that is a clever solution. Two points to Ravenclaw.” 

Luna and Rose both beamed with pride. 

“Rose, if you would please come with me. I want to discuss our options.” 

Rose nodded, then turned to her friends. 

“Will you two be alright?” 

Luna nodded. 

“We’ll take good care of Brain,” Luna said. 

There was a faint bark of agreement from inside Luna’s pack that was clearly not from an illegal dog. 

“Brilliant,” Rose said, turning to Professor Dumbledore. “Lead the way.” 

Luna looked to Brain as Rose and Professor Dumbledore walked off. Luna was certain that Brain wasn’t herself. Was she supposed to fix it? That’s what Rose would do, but was it what Luna should do? Luna didn’t know. 

Before Luna made a decision, Hermione walked away. Luna knew Rose wanted her to look after Brain, so she caught up with her. 

“Where are we going?” Luna asked. 

“I don’t know,” Hermione said. “I want to go to my room, but I can’t with those trolls there.” 

“Why not go to the Room of Requirement?” 

“It’s not the same.” 

“It can be the same,” Luna said. 

She led Hermione by the hand back towards Gryffindor Tower, turning off to go to the Room of Requirement before they caught sight of the trolls. They picked up Crookshanks on the way, who was lurking through the corridors again. Hermione paced back and forth, and the door appeared on the wall. Once inside the room, Tutela hopped out of Luna’s bag. 

Luna looked around at the small room. There was a single bed with blue sheets, and a bookshelf with a few books. 

“It’s my bedroom back at home,” Hermione said. 

“Are you feeling okay?” Luna asked. 

“Not really,” Hermione said, collapsing on the bed. “As if things weren’t bad enough, they’ve got to put trolls in front of Gryffindor Tower.” 

Luna watched Crookshanks eyeing Tutela, as if he weren’t sure what to make of the homunculus. Tutela watched Crookshanks, but paid more attention to Hermione and Luna. 

“Don’t worry,” Luna said. “Rose will have some nimblewrights in a week, and it will be fine. You can probably sleep here until then.” 

“Sleep,” Hermione said. “Sure.” 

Tutela stared at Hermione and began to whine. 

“What?” Hermione asked. 

“She’s worried,” Luna said, stroking Tutela’s fur. “Are you sure you’re sleeping alright?” 

“I’m fine, Luna. I’ll be alright. It’s not like I’m losing much sleep, so long as I wear the ring. If I don’t quite get two hours, then I’m not losing much.” 

“You need two hours for the ring to work. If you don’t get two hours, then the ring doesn’t give you the extra six.” 

Hermione sat up and stared at Luna. 

“What?” 

“Have you not been getting two hours?” 

“No, I keep having nightmares, same as everyone else. Then I can’t fall asleep for a few hours, so I hit REM sleep right away, and I have another nightmare.” 

Luna frowned. She kept having nightmares too, but she had started going to bed early so she could get enough sleep. It sounded like Hermione couldn’t even do that. 

“Make sure you get enough sleep,” Luna said. 

“I know,” Hermione said. 

“If you don’t you’ll get stressed.” 

“I know,” Hermione said impatiently. 

“I heard somewhere that stress can make you hallucinate, even remember things that didn’t happen.” 

“I– what?” 

Silence fell over the room, and Hermione got a look like she was attempting to process what Luna said. Luna was certain that Brain had told her that, but she might’ve been confused again. 

“What?” Luna asked. 

“What did you say?” 

“I said I think stress can make you hallucinate, even–” 

“Remember things that didn’t happen,” they said at the same time. 

Hermione didn’t say anything for a few minutes. Tutela sat beside Luna, attentively watching Hermione. Luna wasn’t sure what Brain was thinking, but it was interesting to watch her. 

Brain couldn’t have been thinking about the troll, because Luna was certain that had happened. What else was there? 

“I couldn’t have just imagined it,” Hermione muttered. “I couldn’t have. I _know_ it happened!” 

“What happened?” Luna asked. 

“Ronald!” 

Luna froze. Was Cohort real? Was he a hallucination? No, he must’ve been real. He helped fight the Basilisk. Luna wracked her brain for memories of anyone interacting with Cohort. Rose always called him Cohort, and Luna knew Rose was real. Maybe they were both hallucinating. 

“Rose is real,” Luna said. 

Hermione stared at her, astounded by her logical prowess. 

“What?” Hermione asked. 

“Rose is real, and she can see Cohort, so he must be real too.” 

This time, Crookshanks joined Hermione in staring at Luna. 

“What?” Hermione asked again. “No! That’s not what I mean!” 

Luna and Tutela tilted their heads. 

“I mean when he… when he called me…” 

Luna and Tutela tilted their heads to the other side. 

“No, I _know_ it happened!” Hermione shouted. “I know it did!” 

Luna jumped at Hermione’s sudden outburst. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” Hermione said. “I just need some rest.” 

Luna smiled, and pulled out some homework while Hermione fell asleep. 

* * *

As promised, the trolls were replaced with nimblewrights within the week. They resembled knights in golden armor, wearing dark red cloaks. Neither was armed, although they looked intimidating without weapons. 

“What’s to stop me from blowing one of them up?” Ginny asked. 

“You’d have to win initiative,” Luna replied. “They can draw their weapons as a free action, and trip you as a standard action.” 

“Don’t forget about _entropic shield_ ,” Rose added. 

“Of course not.” 

“They can also use _haste_ and _alter self_ at will, so they can run away and fetch a teacher if need be. They’re _brilliant_ for utility. You can’t stun or control them, and they’ve got intelligence, so they can out-think their opponents.” 

“What are you planning on doing with them after they catch Sirius Black?” Harry asked. 

“I’ll ask them,” Rose said. “I’m sure they’ve got some ideas.” She turned to Hermione. “What do you think, Brain?” 

Hermione mumbled an answer, then returned to her work. A nest of notes from at least five classes surrounded her. 

“Is anyone else starting to worry about her?” Neville asked. 

Luna looked at her friends. Princess was quieter than usual, Brain still looked part vampire, Cohort wasn’t speaking to anyone, and Toad, Scarface, and Firecracker looked just as confused as she was, which on its own was a little assuring. 

“I don’t think this is normal,” Harry said. 

“It’s not,” Rose said, “but it’s fine. In a few more weeks, this will all be over.” 

That gave Luna comfort as the day went on. She knew no matter how bad things got, Rose would always be there to fix them. 

That night, Rose tucked Luna into Rose’s old bed, then went to the common room to stand guard. That put the defences of Gryffindor Tower up to a pair of nimblewrights, a 20th-level Artificer, and a handful of students trained for combat. 

As Luna began to drift off to sleep, she heard crying from the bed next to her. 

“Princess?” Luna whispered. 

Luna heard Princess pick up her head. 

“Sorry?” Sally-Anne asked. 

“You were crying,” Luna said. “Tutela heard it too.” 

Luna felt Tutela shift around in their bed. 

“It’s nothing,” Sally-Anne said. 

“Crying is never nothing,” Luna said. 

“It’s just… It’s all my fault,” Sally-Anne said. “I try so hard to keep everyone safe, and I got angry and threw it all away.” 

Luna tried to work out Princess’s riddle. Luna wasn’t sure when Princess had last been angry. In fact, Luna was positive Princess _didn’t_ get angry. She was always kind to everyone. Well, except that one time back in September when Rose went missing for a day. 

“When did that happen?” Luna asked. 

“The night Sirius Black broke in,” Sally-Anne whispered. “It’s all my fault. I gave Malfoy the password, thinking he wouldn’t use it before it was changed.” 

That didn’t sound like her. Why would she give Butterhead the password? Well, they _were_ a couple. Wait, were they? No, Princess was with… probably no one. Luna decided she must be confused. 

“Why’d you do that?” Luna asked. 

“He… He found out something I didn’t want him to know, and threatened to tell people if I didn’t give him the password. Now I feel horrible about it.” 

Luna still had a lot of questions. How was Butterhead pretending to be Sirius Black? Or was Sirius Black pretending to be Butterhead? Why did Sally-Anne get angry? How had her being angry given Butterhead something he could use against her? 

“But you only gave the password to Butterhead.” 

“I told him the password the same night that Sirius Black broke in,” Sally-Anne said. “Malfoy must’ve given it to Sirius Black.” 

Luna thought about that. Draco Malfoy was mean, but he wouldn’t be helping Sirius Black, would he? Was Sirius Black still evil? Butterhead threatened people all the time, but he didn’t try to _kill_ people. If Sirius Black planned on killing people, then Butterhead wouldn’t be a part of it. 

Luna couldn’t remember much about Butterhead, but she was certain that he either wanted someone to love him, wanted his father’s approval, or wanted to start an army of vampires and take over the world. She couldn’t remember which, but it left her with one vital question. 

“Does Sirius Black know any vampires?” Luna asked. 

Princess paused, evidently attempting to understand the argument Luna was making. If not that, then Luna was probably confused again. Either way, Luna gave her the courtesy that other people gave her and allowed her to work it out on her own. 

“Probably not?” Sally-Anne said slowly. “Why?” 

“Because if not, then I don’t know why Butterhead would be helping him.” 

Once again, Princess paused, and Luna stared into the darkness, wondering what the dirty-blonde was thinking. She reached back and scratched Tutela’s ears as she waited patiently for the other girl to say something. 

“He wouldn’t,” Sally-Anne said. “Draco _wouldn’t_ be helping Sirius Black. He’s not _evil_ , he just doesn’t like us.” She paused again. “He wasn’t asking for the password for Black, he was asking for it just to have something. So… it’s not my fault.” 

“Nargles can talk too,” Luna said. “That’s why Daddy and I don’t think passwords are a good idea. I wrote an article about it for _The Quibbler_ a few months ago.” 

Apparently happy with this, Princess soon fell asleep, leaving Luna alone in the dark. 

Nargles didn’t always talk to people, and they weren’t known to be reliable. If Sirius Black knew a way to get nargles to tell the truth, then he was truly a formidable opponent. 


	18. Vault Beneath the Earth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rose fulfills her end of the deal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** The Vault and its contents are property of J.K. Rowling.

A few weeks turned into a few months, and April passed by before Rose deemed her friends “combat ready”. With the greatest threat to her friends mitigated for the time being, Rose turned her attention back to Hufflepuff’s Cup. 

Rose had already set to work tracking down Hufflepuff’s Cup. It was well known that it was passed down in the Hufflepuff line, but it stopped at a woman called Hepzibah Smith. It was believed that the Cup was stolen from her after she was murdered, although from what Rose learned, her house-elf did it. 

“That is being wrong!” Dripty shouted when Rose asked him. “House-elves is never killing their masters or mistresses!” 

“I didn’t think so either,” Rose said. “I wanted to make sure.” 

“House-elves is being easy to blame,” Atrien told her. “People is not thinking twice about it when a house-elf is being blamed.” 

“Don’t house-elves _need_ to follow orders?” Rose asked. 

“Exactly,” Atrien said. “You is being a clever witch. A house-elf cannot be murdering their master or mistress, even if they is being treated badly. We is craving orders, like you is needing to eat.” 

“I don’t need to eat,” Rose replied. 

Atrien scowled at her. It wasn’t the same as Professors Snape or McGonagall, but its purpose was clear: Rose was missing the point. 

“I understand what you mean,” Rose said. “A house-elf wouldn’t murder their witch or wizard because they’re afraid to live without him or her.” 

“Precisely,” Atrien said. “Hepzibah Smith was not being murdered by her house-elf, Hokey.” 

“I never mentioned her house-elf’s name.” 

“You is not needing to. Atrien is being familiar with the Hufflepuff family.” 

Rose blinked, then sighed. She had spent the past several months scavenging the library for records and information about the Hufflepuff bloodline, and Atrien was telling her that her search could’ve begun and ended with Atrien. 

“What do you know about Hufflepuff’s Cup?” Rose asked. 

“It is being an ancient artifact of the Hufflepuff family,” Atrien began. 

Many younger house-elves gathered around them, and Rose took a seat. Logic dictated that Atrien was about to give them a lecture, but the faces of the children said it was going to be as enjoyable as a bedtime story. 

“Legend says that Hufflepuff’s Cup provided whatever nourishment the holder is needing, but only if that person was being of pure heart. Even house-elves could be using it if they was needing. Helga Hufflepuff was being a friend to all people, big or small, human or house-elf, Magical or Muggle.” 

“Even me?” one of the children asked. 

“Of course, Leyna,” Atrien replied. 

“What about me?” Rose asked. 

“Not you,” Atrien replied, a bitter look on her face. “Miss Rose is being no good.” 

The children giggled as Rose hung her head, her fake misery betrayed by the broad smile on her face. 

“Hufflepuff’s Cup was being passed down from one Hufflepuff to another for generations, until it finally stopped with Hepzibah Smith.” 

“Why?” Dripty asked. 

“It was being stolen!” Atrien declared. 

There were several gasps from the children and Rose. 

“Hepzibah Smith was murdered, and on that day, two things was being stolen. Hepzibah Smith was being at an antiquity shop called Borgin and Burkes, where she was often going to buy rare artifacts for her collection. She was having Hufflepuff’s Cup with her that day, but, along with Slytherin’s Locket, it was never being seen again. It is being believed that her murderer is having both of them.” 

As Atrien spoke, Rose wrote down the highlights in her notebook. She made a note about Slytherin’s Locket; if the same person had Hufflepuff’s Cup and Slytherin’s Locket, the locket might be important to Sally as well. 

“Did they ever catch the bad guy?” Leyna asked. 

“Sadly, they was not catching him,” Atrien said. “They was blaming poor Hokey, Hepzibah’s house-elf, for the murder. No one was understanding that house-elves would not be harming people, even today.” 

“When did this happen?” Rose asked. 

“July 12th, 1947,” Atrien replied. 

“That puts it… What year is it now?” Rose asked. 

A few of the children giggled. 

“Is Miss Rose really not knowing?” 

“Miss Rose is really not knowing.” 

“It is being 1994,” Atrien told her. 

“So this happened 47 years ago,” Rose said. “That’s just a few years after the first Basilisk attack.” 

“That is being correct.” 

“Is there someone I could ask about the original murder? How does that work in this world? I assume you can’t just call in a Cleric to use _speak with dead_ to find out who killed her, unless you know where I can find Hepzibah’s body.” 

“Atrien is not knowing where Hepzibah Smith is being buried, but if you is needing help, you should be asking Miss Susan Bones.” 

“Madame Bones’s daughter?” Rose asked. “She didn’t look the family type.” 

“Niece,” Atrien corrected. “Madame Bones is being very fond of Miss Susan, and might be helping you, Miss Rose.” 

“Thank you, Atrien.” 

“You is being welcome, Miss Rose, although Atrien is having a question for you.” 

“What is it?” 

“Why is you being so interested in Hufflepuff’s Cup?” 

When Rose realized she needed help, she had prepared answers for that question. She couldn’t mention Sally to anyone, otherwise she risked inciting his wrath. As relatively easy as it was for her to take on Cruentius, Sally’s pet would be nearly impossible for anyone else to beat. 

“I can’t explain how, but it’s going to help me get rid of the Dementors and find Sirius Black.” 

Atrien eyed her suspiciously, but then nodded her approval. 

“Then us house-elves is wishing you the best of luck, Miss Rose.” 

“Thank you,” Rose said, curtsying. “Before I leave, I’ve got a favor to ask of Dripty.” 

“Before Miss Rose is ordering Atrien’s elves around, Atrien would like to be asking something of Miss Rose.” 

“Go ahead.” 

“If Atrien were forgetting her place, she’d be telling Miss Rose that she shouldn’t be losing her temper with Professor Dumbledore. He is trying his best to be keeping order in Hogwarts, even if it isn’t looking like it.” 

Rose muttered something under her breath, as Reflectesalon reminded her not to lose her temper. It took every ounce of patience Rose had to not lose it in front of Atrien. 

“I’ll remember that,” Rose said coolly. “Can I borrow Dripty or not?” 

“What is it Miss Rose is needing?” 

* * *

Moments later, Rose appeared at her next stop: the Hufflepuff common room. The walls were stone, with vines creeping along them. Bright light shone through the windows, shining on the various portraits and plants that decorated the room. 

When Rose popped into Ravenclaw Tower, she was greeted with glares. Here, Rose was greeted warmly, as if she fit right in with everyone else. 

“Hey, Rose,” Max said. “I didn’t know you’d be stopping by.” 

“Me either, until a few moments ago,” Rose said, still looking around the room. “I like your common room.” 

“Thanks.” 

Max sat down next to Ellie on one of the many couches. Ellie smiled up at Rose. 

Max and Ellie were in Ancient Runes with Rose, so she was getting to know them rather well. Max spoke softly, but knew when to raise his voice. He seemed relaxed in spite of the Dementors outside. His relaxed attitude and authoritative manor reminded Rose of Harold Strant. 

Ellie was interesting, because she was mute. This didn’t seem to bother her, and she happily used something called “sign language” to communicate. Rose hadn’t figured it out yet, but Max often translated for her. Rose had also learned that Ellie received special lessons concerning silent casting, which Rose thought was a brilliant idea, even if one could speak. 

“How are you two doing?” Rose asked. 

Ellie began moving her hands around. 

“‘We were just working on Ancient Runes homework,’” Max translated. “‘Have you looked at it yet?’” 

“Not yet,” Rose replied. “I’ve been busy today, although I may come back later if you’re interested in working on it together.” 

Normally, Rose would’ve worked on her homework with Hermione or Sally-Anne, but Hermione was starting to shut herself away anywhere she could. She hid in the library, the Room of Requirement, even the bathroom just so she didn’t have to deal with people. This didn’t concern Rose as much as Hermione leaving the _condition conch_ in her room, something she’d started doing in the past week. 

“How’s Hermione been doing?” Max asked. “She seems off in class.” 

“She hasn’t been sleeping well,” Rose replied, sitting on the floor. Her eyes widened when she felt the soft plush. “Oooh! Soft!” 

Not thinking, Rose pulled off her glove and felt the carpet. When Rose realized that she had removed her _right_ glove, she quickly slipped it back on, hoping no one had noticed the rune on her hand. 

“I hope she feels better,” Max said, apparently neither confused about nor alarmed by Rose’s behavior. 

“ _What brings you here?_ ” Ellie signed. 

“I’m looking for Susan,” Rose said. “I need to talk to Madame Bones at the DMLE, and it would help if I had someone to vouch for me.” 

“She and Hannah went for a walk,” Max said. “That was 20 minutes ago, so they’ll probably be back soon.” 

“Well, I get a break then,” Rose said, collapsing on the soft floor. 

“Ellie says ‘Why do you need to see Madame Bones?’” 

“I need the investigation notes from the murder of Hepzibah Smith,” Rose replied. “Someone stole something from her, and I need it. It will indirectly help me remove the Dementors.” 

“ _If you keep telling people that, they’re eventually going to ask how,_ ” Sally told her. 

“That’d be wonderful,” Max said. “I can’t wait until they’re gone.” He looked around, then leaned in closer. “Speaking of Dementors and Sirius Black, is it true that he’s going after Ron Weasley, not Harry Potter?” 

“Looks that way, although I can’t figure out why,” Rose said. “So much of this doesn’t make sense!” Rose covered her face with her hands. “Where’s Shadow when I need her?” 

“Ellie wants to know ‘Who’s Shadow?’” Max said. 

“My friend back home,” Rose replied. “She’s clever, logical, and never overlooks anything. _She’d_ have figured this all out by now. Shadow would’ve found the one thing I overlooked.” 

Rose felt someone nudging her foot and looked up. Ellie was signing something to her. 

<‘Is that why you need the cup?’> Reflectesalon told her, under special orders to relay Ellie’s thoughts to Rose. 

“Sort of,” Rose said. “I haven’t been able to talk to her all year, and it’s driving me mad.” 

“Well, we’ll help in any way we can,” Max said. 

“ _What’s special about Ronald?_ ” Ellie asked. 

“That’s the thing,” Rose said. “Unless Sirius Black is siding with Brain in their fight, I can’t figure out why he’d be after Cohort.” 

“Why don’t we talk about something else?” Max suggested. “It seems like it’s bothering you.” 

“You’ve got no idea,” Rose said. “Something else would be wonderful.” 

As she was talking with Max and Ellie, other Hufflepuffs greeted Rose as if she belonged there. It wasn’t just Max and Ellie, but nearly everyone. A few people looked confused, but quickly said hello anyway. Rose began to think she had chosen the wrong house. 

“I like it here,” Rose said. “Everything’s cozy, and people are friendly. You’ve got proper books, plenty of places to sit, and your secret entrance doesn’t announce itself.” 

“ _Portraits don’t seem like a good choice for protecting a doorway,_ ” Ellie said. “ _I do like the knights._ ” 

“Nimblewrights,” Rose said. “Moon suggested them.” 

“That’s… Luna?” Max asked. 

“Yup. They make our entrance noticeable, but I think everyone knows where it is anyway.” 

“Hello, Rose.” 

Rose looked up and saw Cedric standing over her. 

“Salutations, Cedric,” Rose replied. 

“We were just talking about the knights outside of Gryffindor Tower,” Max said. 

“Nimblewrights,” Rose corrected him. 

“That’s what Hermione calls them,” Cedric said, sitting down beside Rose. “I’d like to say I like them better than the trolls they had.” 

Cedric, Max, and Ellie began discussing better creatures they could’ve used for security, while Rose spaced out. She had little concern for the conversation, and was just killing time until Susan found her way to the Hufflepuff common room. 

<Rose, you were asked a question,> Reflectesalon informed her. 

“What?” Rose asked. 

“What brings you here?” Cedric asked. 

“Looking for Susan Bones, so I can talk to Madame Bones without getting attacked on sight,” Rose said. 

“I meant to ask earlier, but why not just ask Professor Dumbledore?” Max asked. 

“We aren’t on good terms at the moment,” Rose replied. 

She hadn’t spoken with the Headmaster since the Nimblewrights were put in place, and even that conversation could’ve gone better. Every time Rose saw Professor Dumbledore, she couldn’t help but think that he was the one stopping her from attacking the Dementors. She knew he wasn’t _really_ the one stopping her, but he was enforcing the will of the Ministry. 

“Well, I passed Susan and Hannah on my way up here, and it doesn’t look like they’re in any hurry to get back. Why don’t you go talk to them?” 

“That desperate to get rid of me?” Rose asked. 

“You seem anxious,” Cedric said. 

“Little bit,” Rose replied. “I just–” 

“Hey, everyone,” Hannah said. 

Rose whirled around and saw Hannah and Susan entering the common room. 

“Susan!” Rose exclaimed, appearing next to her. 

“Ah!” Susan and Hannah exclaimed, jumping back. 

“I need to borrow you,” Rose said. 

* * *

Rose and Susan appeared in a small, well-organized office. Sitting at the lone desk was Madame Bones, although she jumped to her feet the moment she saw that she had visitors. 

“Auntie Amelia!” Susan exclaimed. 

“Susie, what are you doing here?” Madame Bones asked. “How’d you get in?” 

“Rose brought us,” Susan said, indicating her companion. “She wants to talk to you about something.” 

Madame Bones narrowed her eyes at the pair of them, but it only served to increase Rose’s respect for the woman. She had a good head on her shoulders. 

“Aren’t you the little girl that dropped a basilisk’s head on Fudge’s desk?” Bones asked. 

“What?!” Susan shrieked, turning to stare at Rose. 

“Yeah, that was fun,” Rose said. “But more to the point, I need to see the records on the murder of Hepzibah Smith.” 

Madame Bones continued to watch Rose with suspicion. 

“Why?” 

“I need Hufflepuff’s Cup.” 

Madame Bones opened her mouth, but Rose cut her off. 

“Before you ask, I can’t say why, but I can say it will help remove the Dementors. Unless you’ve got something of Sirius Black’s. _That_ would allow me to locate him and put an end to this right now.” 

“I haven’t.” 

“Really?” Rose asked. “Didn’t you check his house or something when you arrested him? Confiscate his belongings?” 

“They destroyed his wand, as is procedure. I didn’t work the case, so I don’t know, but I know they didn’t go after his belongings.” 

“Where did he live?” 

“Number 12 Grimauld Place, which is hidden to those that weren’t invited by the Black Family,” Bones replied. 

As Rose and Madame Bones talked, Susan stared off into space, the conversation completely going over her head. 

“Define ‘Black Family’,” Rose said. “Does it work for people that were invited by someone with the last name ‘Black’?” 

“Doubt it, but that’s still good thinking,” Bones said. “What’d you say your name was?” 

“Rose Peta-Lorrum,” Rose said, curtsying. 

“Susie, what’s your father’s name?” Bones asked. 

“Erm… Edgar?” Susan replied, tuning back into the conversation. 

“Just checking,” Amelia said. “Peta-Lorrum, take Susie back to Hogwarts, and meet back here. I’ll take you to where we house the records.” 

_Serendipity_ appeared in Rose’s hand, and she _wished_ Susan back to the Hufflepuff common room. 

Bones blinked, then drew her wand. 

“How’d you do that?” she asked. “Illusion?” 

“I sent her back the same way I brought us here,” Rose replied. “Professor Dumbledore must’ve informed you about me by now.” 

Bones glared at Rose, but still lowered her wand. She reached into her desk and pulled out a small badge. 

“Visitor’s pass,” she explained as Rose took the badge. “You’ll want that on in case we run into anyone.” 

“Thank you,” Rose said. 

Madame Bones led Rose out of her office, down a corridor, then into something she called a “lift”. 

“What’s it do?” Rose asked. 

“It takes us to where we’re going,” Madame Bones replied. “Records!” 

The lift responded by jerking into motion, then sprang back, then down. It flew down so quickly that Rose began to feel like she was in a free fall. After a few seconds, the lift stopped, and a bell sounded. 

“Here we are,” Bones said, leading the way into a large warehouse filled with shelves of boxes. 

Bones led Rose down along the aisles, stopping at one in particular towards the end. 

“‘S’,” Bones said. “Unfortunately, Smith’s a rather common surname, so this might take a little while to find.” 

Bones pulled out her wand and summoned a ladder to them. 

“You need a better filing system,” Rose said. 

Ten minutes later, they came upon the case of Hepzibah Smith. Madame Bones removed the box from the shelf, signed her name on the front of it with her wand, then handed the box to Rose. 

“Anything you learn in here is the property of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement of the Ministry of Magic of Great Britain. Failure to treat the information with care will result in legal action being taken against you. Do you understand and accept these terms?” 

“Sure,” Rose said, taking the box and hopping off the ladder. She flipped through the contents of the box as Madame Bones joined her. 

Rose quickly found what she was looking for in the file: a list of the employees at Borgin and Burkes. The culprit was obvious the moment she read his name. 

“It _would_ be him,” Rose groaned. “Tom Riddle.” 

“You think he had it?” Bones asked. 

“It can’t be a coincidence,” Rose replied. “I’ll need a list of Voldie’s followers, ranked in order of loyalty. He already gave that book to Goldilocks, so if he’s clever, he wouldn’t have given him more than one artifact.” 

“Did you just call Lucius Malfoy ‘Goldilocks’?” 

“Yup,” Rose replied, returning the file to its place. “I need those names.” 

“Off the top of my head, I’d say Bellatrix Lestrange or Severus Snape,” Bones said as she levitated the box back into place. “Fenrir Greyback was another big follower, but I don’t think he’d have trusted Greyback with something that valuable.” 

“If it’s Professor Snape, then that’s easy,” Rose said. “Which one’s Bellatrix Lestrange?” 

“The mad one,” Madame Bones replied. “Serving life in Azkaban after torturing a pair of Aurors until they went mad themselves.” 

Rose knew the name rang a bell, but she couldn’t think why. 

“I’m not waiting for you,” Bones called. “I can get you a list, but that’s all I’m doing.” 

Rose _dimension jumped_ to keep up with Madame Bones. 

“Most of You-Know-Who’s known followers are in Azkaban,” Bones said. “I don’t know how much help they’re going to be. They aren’t the chatting type.” 

“They don’t need to be,” Rose said. “I’ve got my own ways of extracting information. Can you get me into Azkaban?” 

Bones shook her head. 

“The only reason I let you see those records was because you’re friends with Susie. I’m not breaking any more rules for someone I don’t know just because she says she’s going to catch Sirius Black.” 

She had a good point, although Rose figured she was still missing something. Madame Bones was being too trusting for someone who ran the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Everything Rose knew about her said that she shouldn’t be so trusting. 

“Why are you helping me?” Rose asked. “It can’t just be because I’m friends with Susan.” 

“Also doing a friend a favor,” Bones replied, quickly veering to the left on their way back. “That’s all you need to know.” 

They walked past the rest of the aisles of boxes, then arrived in a separate room. A light turned on for them, and Rose found herself in a smaller room filled with boxes. 

“Everything we’ve got on He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and his followers,” Madame Bones said, folding her arms. “Starts from his rise to power, and ends with his demise back in ’81.” 

“I’m going to be a minute,” Rose said. “I’ve got research to do.” 

Rose spent the rest of Wednesday in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement’s record room, reviewing everything they had on Voldemort. By the end of it, she came to the same conclusion as Madame Bones had: Voldemort had most likely given Hufflepuff’s Cup to Bellatrix Lestrange for safekeeping. 

That left her with two problems: 1. What if Voldemort _didn’t_ give it to anyone? 2. How was she going to get any information out of Bellatrix Lestrange? 

Saturday was the last Quidditch match of the season, and her friends wanted to go, so Rose put her search on hold for the day. Sunday she took off to Azkaban, hoping to learn something from the Death Eater. 

Rose appeared in a dark, dreary castle. She saw Dementors floating around, but, like the ones at Hogwarts, they paid no attention to her. 

“N4,” Rose muttered. “Where’s N4?” 

Looking around her, all the cells had numbers on them, but no letters. 

“That makes it difficult,” Rose muttered. 

After a good ten minutes of searching, Rose discovered that she was in the south wing of the prison. That meant she was looking for the north wing, so she went straight north. 

As Rose walked through Azkaban, she sensed the misery of the prisoners. Their despair was all around her. They had no happiness; no _hope_. If someone wasn’t bad before being thrown inside the forsaken isle, they would’ve been within a month. 

“It really is just like Thedo Minor,” Rose muttered. 

It wasn’t long before Rose came to her destination. Sitting in Cell N4 was a woman with wiry, black hair. She sat in the corner, smiling to herself as she muttered something Rose couldn’t make out. 

“Bellatrix Lestrange,” Rose said. 

The woman looked up, her eyes darting left and right looking for the source of the noise. When she spotted Rose, her lips curled into a smile. 

“You’re a new one,” she said. She rushed over to the bars of her cell. “What’s wrong with your hair?” 

She looked over Rose with the eyes of a predator assessing its prey. Rose stared back at her, her face betraying no emotion. 

“You were a follower of Voldemort,” Rose said. 

“You dare speak his name?!” Bellatrix hissed. “Only those close to him would _dare_ utter it!” 

“Voldemort, Voldemort, Voldemort,” Rose said. She knew annoying Bellatrix wasn’t the best way to get her help, but Rose had no interest in showing kindness to the woman. 

Bellatrix snarled at Rose. 

“Or would you rather I call him ‘Tommy’?” Rose asked. 

To her surprise, the woman in the cage didn’t get angrier, but instead smiled. 

“Of all the hallucinations I’ve had, you might be my favorite,” she said. 

“Just like you were once the Dark Lord’s favorite?” Rose asked. 

“I don’t like to brag, but yes, I am,” Bellatrix said. “Whatever My Lord wants, My Lord gets.” 

“Is that why he’s dead and you’re locked up?” 

As if someone flipped a switch, Bellatrix turned from delighted to enraged with a swift action. 

“ _He is not dead!_ ” she shrieked. “The Dark Lord will rise again, and he will purge the world of filth!” 

Rose didn’t exactly have a plan for getting the information out of Bellatrix, beyond possibly knocking her out and using _probe thoughts_ on her. The problem with that plan, as Reflectesalon had pointed out to her, was she might take the opportunity to hit Bellatrix a little too hard. 

“And when he does, he’ll get you out of here?” Rose asked. “After all, you _are_ his favorite.” 

“I am,” Bellatrix cooed. 

“Is that why he entrusted Lucius with his old diary, but gave nothing to you?” 

A sly smile formed on Bellatrix’s lips, and Rose knew she had her. 

“Oh, but he _did_ ,” Bellatrix said. “My Lord gave me something. Said it must be kept safe.” 

<Ref, anything?> Rose asked. 

<She’s hiding it. I can’t tell what she’s got.>

“What was it? What did Our Lord ask you to keep safe?” 

Bellatrix chuckled. 

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” 

Rose did something then about which she’d only ever thought. She activated _Serendipity_ and cast _moment of prescience_ on herself. The eighth-level Divination spell gave her a bonus to a single check, and she needed all the help she could get. Just for additional support, she added _owl’s insight_ into the mix, giving herself +10 to Wisdom. 

“Hufflepuff’s Cup.” 

Rose activated _moment of prescience_ , giving herself +20 on her next Sense Motive check. She concentrated on Bellatrix, looking for any sign that she’d hit a nerve. For just a moment, Rose felt that she understood the deranged woman before her. Everything Bellatrix did made perfect sense, right down to the way she worshiped Voldemort as a deity. 

Bellatrix was valued as a Death Eater, something that she knew she deserved but was never given by anyone else. On some level, Rose understood that, but she what she understood more was the maniacal laughter that was emitted from the woman’s mouth. She was excited because someone knew. 

“Where is it, Bellatrix?” Rose asked. 

“And why should I tell you?” Bellatrix asked. “We both know you’re real.” 

Rose knew Bellatrix had a point, although she was a little shocked that the woman realized she wasn’t a hallucination. She was more clear-minded than she let on, although that wasn’t saying much. Unfortunately, now that Bellatrix knew what Rose was after, she wasn’t going to give it up, not when it put that object at risk. 

“Fair enough,” Rose said. 

Rose used _greater dimension jumper_ to appear on the other side of the bars. She still had enhanced Wisdom, so she knew it was a bad idea to kill Bellatrix, no matter how badly she wanted to. Still, she knocked the woman to the ground. 

“Listen closely, Bellatrix,” Rose said, her foot planted firmly on Bellatrix’s neck as the older woman struggled and thrashed against her. “I’m going to take the cup from you. That precious object that your master gave you to guard? I’m going to take it from you, and when Tommy returns, he’ll find that you lost it to a Muggle-born.” Rose leaned in close to the Death Eater and whispered, “and then he’ll _never_ come back for you.” 

Rose lifted her boot so the woman could talk. 

“You filthy mudblood!” Bellatrix screamed. 

Rose clamped her hand over Bellatrix’s mouth. 

“Instead of being angry at _me_ , be angry at _yourself_. You brought this on yourself when you took Toad’s parents from him.” 

Rose cracked the Death Eater on the head, knocking her unconscious. 

* * *

Rose waited outside of Gringotts for the door to open. Her research said that it had somehow been warded against ghosts, so she couldn’t just use _ghostform_ to waltz in and take the cup. 

While many thieves might have been deterred or angry by this, it made Rose excited instead. What she wanted from this was a challenge, and she was getting that challenge. 

After reading Bellatrix’s mind, Rose learned that the woman had put Hufflepuff’s Cup in her vault in Gringotts. Allegedly, no one had ever successfully stolen anything from Gringotts, but then again, no one had ever broken into Azkaban, which Rose had done less than an hour ago. 

When breaking into somewhere with as much security as Gringotts, Rose would’ve done more research, cased the target, learned the layout of it, and flawlessly (according to Rose, although Shadow’s opinion differed) executed the heist. However, Rose didn’t have the time. She wanted to hand Sally Hufflepuff’s Cup so he’d remove the ward and she could talk to her family without concern for her friends. 

The second the door opened, Rose bolted inside, completely invisible to anyone. She knew it wasn’t going to be easy; no doubt Gringotts had top-notch security, but she was no ordinary thief. 

Once inside, Rose slipped into a side room. 

“ _I wish I knew the path to the Lestrange Vault,_ ” she whispered. 

Rose’s mind was instantly filled with the exact path she needed to take through Gringotts in order to find Bellatrix Lestrange’s vault. Now the trick was getting there without running into anyone. Rose didn’t know exactly what security there was, so she didn’t want to risk _ghostform_. For all she knew, an alarm would sound the second a ghost was detected in the vaults, or they would just be completely warded against ghosts. 

Once again, Rose had to wait for the vault doors to open, so she opted to use the time to her advantage. She flipped through her notebook and found what she needed. 

Rose began to shrink. Chunks of bone and cartilage protruded form her back, but quickly became tinted crimson. Her ears became pointed, but she otherwise remained the same. When her transformation concluded, she resembled a small fairy. 

Rose, now in the form of a pixie, fluttered over to the door that led into the vaults. Within five minutes, it opened and she sped through. 

What lay inside resembled a mine shaft, complete with carts. A goblin would take a client inside the cart, then the cart sped off into the darkness. Fortunately, there were no more doors for Rose to deal with, so she flew as fast as her new pixie wings would allow, activating _greater dimension jumper_ as often as possible. 

Rose flew down into the black, following _find the path_ as far as it would take her. She didn’t know how long it would take, or what other defences there were, but she didn’t care. She was determined to find a way. 

After about a minute, Rose encountered her mortal enemy: a door. 

The railway was blocked off by a large, metal door. Rose could’ve broken it down with _mountain hammer_ , but that would no doubt trigger an alarm, and Rose wanted to avoid that if at all possible. 

_Can’t use_ ghostform, _can’t use_ greater blink, Rose thought. _Wait, maybe I can._

Sk’lar had explained how _dimension door_ and _greater blink_ worked to her on more than one occasion, but he’d recently explained it again when she asked why they could work in Hogwarts. _Dimension door_ worked by moving the caster into the Ethereal Plane, then folding space between their location and the destination, then moving the caster back to their original plane. _Blink_ and _greater blink_ worked the same way, which was why she could use them in Hogwarts. The wards stopped apparition, which, as Professor Dumbledore had explained, worked by folding space in the Material Plane (or Rowling Plane) rather than the Ethereal Plane. Thus, the wards were designed to stop casters from folding space, but Rose’s spells didn’t fold space in the current plane, so she could use them without impediment. 

Rose successfully _blinked_ through the door, cursing that she hadn’t thought of that sooner. 

_I do that all the time. Why was I so fixated on using_ ghostform? 

Rose flew unimpeded through Gringotts for nearly an hour before finding the Lestrange Vault. It was contained within a section Rose assumed was used for high security vaults, all of which were guarded by a dragon. 

It was common knowledge that Rose didn’t like dragons, but even _she_ felt sorry for the beast for just a second. It was clearly underfed, and most likely miserable to be used in such a way. Rose found it a little insulting that creatures that were worshiped and feared in her world were used as pets in this one. 

Rose returned to her original form, then _blinked_ through the door into the vault. 

Inside she found a large chamber covered in riches of all sorts. The floor was covered in coins, and the shelves were covered in art. 

_Now where is it?_

Rose floated around the room, looking at the entire area under _true seeing_. After looking over the shelves, she found it. It stood on its own, appearing ordinary for something that she’d spent all week tracking. 

She floated over to Hufflepuff’s Cup, looking at it closely. She didn’t know if it was a fake or what would happen when she touched it, but she wasn’t going to wait to find out. Rose grabbed the cup and _dimension doored_ out of the vault. 

* * *

Rose appeared in the Chamber of Secrets and placed Hufflepuff’s Cup on the ground. 

“There!” she shouted. “Happy?!” 

As with the last time she was there, a green-haired child rose out of the ground. He smiled when he saw her, as if seeing an old friend for the first time in years. 

“Thank you, Rose,” he said. “You’ve got no idea how much this–” 

“Save it!” she barked. “I got it for you, now take down the ward!” 

“You understand that I can’t just snap my fingers and–” 

Rose drew _Serendipity_ and aimed her at the cup. 

Sally flinched, then slowly held up his arms. 

“I linked a single rune to the runes that hold the ward in place,” Sally said. “It’s beneath your left foot.” 

Rose wasn’t going to take her eyes off him for a moment, so she slid her foot back and called out Intelligencer. 

“Int, check the floor in front of my left foot,” Rose ordered. 

The expeditious messenger complied, flying down to the floor in front of Rose. 

<There’s a rune here.>

“How do I know it won’t hurt me if I destroy it?” Rose asked. 

“It won’t, but the Blood Pact will harm _me_ if you destroy it,” Sally said. “I just need you to move, that’s all.” 

Rose recalled Intelligencer, then lowered her wand. She took a few paces back, giving Sally a clear shot at the rune. 

Sally raised his left arm. It turned red and lashed out at the rune, slicing it right down the middle. 

“Done,” Sally said. “Within five minutes, the ward will have completely faded.” 

Rose narrowed her eyes. 

“How do I–” 

“Check your hand.” 

Rose pulled off her glove, and saw that the rune was indeed fading. 

“The terms have been met, so the deal has concluded.” 

Rose looked up at Sally. 

“The ward remains around the Chamber of Secrets,” Sally reminded her, “so I won’t take it personally if you want to leave.” 

Rose didn’t know what to say. She felt like she should thank Sally for dropping the ward, but he was the one that put it there in the first place. He had honored his deal, and that was something. 

“Thanks for honoring the deal,” Rose said. 

“I didn’t have a choice,” Sally replied. “It’s what I like about Blood Pacts. They force people to be honest.” 

Rose nodded. She still wanted to know what Sally intended to do with the cup, but she decided she had more pressing issues that needed her attention. 

“See you soon, Sally,” Rose said. 

“I’ll try to make the next one more of a challenge, Little Rosie,” Sally replied. 

Rose vanished, reappearing near the Room of Requirement. The sun was just beginning to peak out over the horizon as she paced back and forth along the hallway. 

Once the door appeared, Rose ran inside so she could be alone. 

“This is it,” she said. 

Rose took a deep breath. 

<Shadow, are you there? Eom.>


	19. Step Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rose enacts step five of her Grand Master Plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** 5\. Remind readers that J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter.

Rose relived every moment of the past eight months as she spent the day telling Shadow about all of it. Both out loud and over their network, she began with the Dementor on the Hogwarts Express, and ended with her errand for Sally that morning. She talked for hours, ignorant of the exact time of day. Every so often, the Room of Requirement would change its ceiling to reflect the sky outside, helping her keep track of how late it was getting. 

Shadow didn’t speak a word the entire time, apart from “still listening”. Rose didn’t know what Shadow was doing back home, but whatever it was must not have needed her direct attention. 

<Alright,> Rose panted, <I’m finished.>

Rose collapsed on the floor, emotionally worn out from reliving so much in such a short amount of time. 

The ceiling of the room briefly changed to show the sun nearing the horizon, indicating that she’d been inside it all day. She didn’t care; Rose wasn’t leaving the Room of Requirement until she’d figured out the solution to all their problems. It was up to her to fix it, and that’s what she intended to do. 

<Please,> she pathed, <help me.>

Rose laid on the floor, waiting for someone to tell her it was alright. She needed to hear that it was going to be okay, even after everything that had happened. 

<No.>

Rose faltered for a moment, then sat up and screamed. 

<I’ve been trying to talk to you for–>

<If you want someone to pat you on the head and tell you how special you are, talk to Carolina. If you want someone to walk you through a problem, talk to your uncle. What made you think I would do either? This is _your_ problem, Rose. I’m not going to fix it for you. >

Shadow’s words hit Rose hard. After waiting for months to hear Shadow’s voice again, after working hard for the past week to figure out a way for them to talk, Shadow didn’t care. 

<Maybe I _should_ talk to one of them! > Rose shouted. <At least they’d help me!>

<You’re not as strong as I thought you were,> Shadow said. <I’m almost embarrassed to call you my friend, much less my best friend.>

<Fine!> Rose shouted, her anger pushed past its boiling point. <I don’t need your help!>

<Then why did you waste my time?>

An unfamiliar sensation came over her: Rose was at a loss for words. She didn’t know what to do or say. She wanted Shadow’s help, but it was clear that Shadow wasn’t willing to give it. After working towards that moment for months, everything had gone wrong, and Rose had never felt more defeated than at that moment. 

<I can’t do this on my own,> Rose said. <Please, Shadow. I need you.>

<You don’t _need_ any of us. I know how you can find Sirius Black, I know how to stop the Dementors, and I know who’s really behind all of this. _You_ collected the information and told me about it today. >

<But–>

< _You_ were the one that told me I couldn’t depend on other people to fix my problems for me. Was that just a lie? >

<No, it–>

<Stop crying, and go fix it. It _is_ what you’re best at, isn’t it? >

At that moment, Rose woke up from the nightmare she’d been having for the past eight months. She stopped trying to find someone to fix her problems for her and thought about the problem at hand. 

<Starting over,> Rose said, getting to her feet. <I need to find Sirius Black. That will keep him from hurting my friends, and get the Dementors away from Hogwarts. I don’t know where he’s taken shelter, but he did run into the Forbidden Forest _once_. He could be in there, but I can’t track him down now, so my best bet is using _discern location_ to find him. That means I’ll need something he once owned, since I haven’t met him yet. >

Rose ran through everything she knew about Sirius Black. He’d attended Hogwarts at the same time as Harry’s parents, Professor Lupin, and Professor Snape. Harry’s dad, Sirius, Lupin, and another boy called Peter Pettigrew were all friends and tormented Snape. Sirius was such good friends with Harry’s parents that they’d made him his godfather, which she’d learned was something like a backup parent. 

<Maybe he gave something to Harry,> Rose suggested. 

<That he kept for 13 years after being removed from his house?>

<Good point.>

With Sirius’s old house sealed off to anyone that tried to access it apart from Sirius Black himself, Rose was out of ideas. Every avenue was cut off to her before she reached it. Rose flipped through her notebook and found something she’d forgotten. 

<Why’d he go after Cohort?> Rose wondered aloud. 

<Good question.>

What was special about Cohort? If he’d wanted to go after a member of the Weasley family, there was quite the pick at Hogwarts, so it had to be more than that. It had to be something special about Ron in particular. What made him different from the others? 

<Maybe he knows something the others don’t?>

<What?>

<I don’t know, I can’t think of it!> Rose shouted. 

<How’d he know to go to Hogwarts?>

<What?>

<You said Sirius Black muttered in his sleep at the end of last year about someone being at Hogwarts. How’d he know who was at Hogwarts? How’d he get any information at all?>

Rose thought back to the time she’d read about Sirius Black breaking out. She thought back to her trip to Azkaban to see Lestrange, and realized she’d overlooked something. 

<There were copies of the _Daily Prophet_ in Azkaban, > Rose said. <He must’ve seen our picture from the Basilisk fight.>

Rose imagined she were Sirius Black reading the news article. Having only that, what was significant about Ron? 

<THE RAT!> she exclaimed, the Room of Requirement echoing her words of triumph. <Cohort’s rat, but it isn’t a rat, it’s a man disguised as a rat! It’s missing toes, and all they found of Pettigrew after Sirius killed him was a few fingers! He’s the rat! Sirius didn’t betray Scarface’s parents, Pettigrew did!>

<What about Lupin?> Shadow asked. 

Rose turned her attention to Professor Lupin. He was absent from class a lot, so Rose started there. She flipped through her notebook to find the exact times, but when she did, she noticed the pattern as clear as day. 

<He’s always absent at the end of the month,> Rose said. <Like clockwork, always the end of the month. Following the pattern, he won’t be in class tomorrow.>

<So?>

Then Rose saw the last piece of the puzzle. It’d been a note she’d made offhandedly, not paying it much more notice at the time. 

_Professor Snape gave us a quiz on wolfsbane today. Thanks for keeping us on our toes! You’re the best!_

Rose’s eyes went wide, then she rolled her eyes before bashing her head against a wall. 

<I’m such an idiot! How did I miss that?>

<Took you long enough,> Shadow said. 

<Lupin’s a lycanthrope!>

<As qualified as that makes him, it doesn’t help you.>

Then it hit her. Lupin was a lycanthrope; Pettigrew was a rat; Sirius was a dog; and… Harry’s dad was probably something. 

Rose knew what it felt like to have _divine enlightenment_ suddenly cast on her, and she likened the feeling to it. It was as if a fog had lifted, and she saw what she was missing. 

<THEY MADE THE MAP!> she exclaimed. <Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs! They were the Marauders!>

Rose grinned from ear to ear. She could hardly contain her excitement. The nightmare was finally going to be over! All she needed to do was find the Twins and the map, and she could find Sirius Black. 

<Thanks, Sweety. I needed that.>

<Don’t call me ‘Sweety’,> Shadow replied. <And if you ever go dark for that long again, I’m going to skin your brother and sister alive.>

<I’m sorry,> Rose pathed. <I’m so, so sorry.>

<Stop apologizing and fix it,> Shadow snapped. <I’ve wasted enough time on you.>

Rose raced for the door, then remembered her friends. Before she found Sirius Black, she needed to resolve the argument between Brain and Cohort. 

<I need your help for about 20 more minutes. I promise, that’s it.>

* * *

Ron sat in the common room, staring at his chess set. He wanted to play, but couldn’t think for the life of him why. It was fun, wasn’t it? Then why did he get upset every time he tried playing? What was wrong with him? 

Rose appeared on the other side of the board. Any other day, Ron would’ve been would’ve been startled, but today he just didn’t care. 

“Here’s the deal, Cohort,” Rose said. “I challenge you to a chess match. If I win, you go talk to Brain. If you win, I’ll make you something that will make you super strong, super fast, able to fly, immune to the Unforgivable Curses, and give you looks so good they’re literally stunning.” 

Ron hardly had to think about it. Rose was rubbish at chess, so victory was assured. 

“Deal,” he said. 

As the match progressed, Ron developed a bad feeling. The impression he’d always got from Rose was that she was awful at chess. He’d played her before, and she couldn’t pay attention to save her life. At least, that’s how she’d played _before_. 

_Now_ , she was five moves ahead of him, cutting off his strategies at every turn, and had backup plans for her backup plans. The instant he’d figure out what she was doing, her entire strategy would change, or he’d uncover her _real_ plan. It was as if he were playing an entirely different person. The idea that she was getting help from Hermione crossed his mind once or twice, but that couldn’t have been it. Hermione wouldn’t help Rose win a chess match, nor did she _want_ him to talk to her, so their stakes made that idea make even less sense. 

“Check,” Rose said, placing her castle in striking range of his king. “Mate next move.” 

Ron looked at the board. He’d seen it a few turns ago, but now it was inevitable. Rose had backed his king into a corner behind his pawns with her queen, and now his only legal move was to block her castle with his bishop. After that, Rose would take the bishop, and that was the game. 

Rose reached her hand across the table. 

“What are you doing?” Ron asked. 

“I’m offering you a draw,” Rose replied. “You go talk to Brain, and I’ll tell you what you need to say.” 

Ron looked down at the board again. Coming to a draw against Rose was better than losing to her. 

“I accept,” Ron said, shaking Rose’s hand. “How’d you do that? I thought you didn’t like chess.” 

“You’ve already asked me that,” Rose said. “Remember how I didn’t answer before?” 

“Right.” 

Ron didn’t like any part of this. He didn’t want to talk to Hermione, because he knew he’d just make things worse. If he didn’t talk to Hermione, then things still had a chance of being better, but if he did, then he’d throw it all away. 

“Just tell her you’re sorry,” Rose said. “She’ll talk to you again.” 

Ron couldn’t find the strength to stand. It wasn’t just that he didn’t want to talk to her; he was _scared_ to talk to Hermione. 

“Don’t worry,” another voice said. “She’ll forgive you.” 

Ron looked up and saw Alex standing over the chess table. She smiled at him in a way that made him _know_ he could do it. 

“I already talked to her,” Alex continued. “She wants you to talk to her.” 

“Really?” Ron asked. 

“Yeah.” 

“She’s on the western edge of the vegetable patch, staring vacantly at the Whomping Willow,” Rose said. 

Ron couldn’t believe it. The fight might finally be over. He’d have his friend back. The thought of Hermione smiling again gave him a warm feeling. Everything would be alright. 

“Thanks,” Ron said, then raced out of the common room as fast as he could. 

The moment he was gone, Rose turned to Alex. 

“So that was a lie, right?” Rose asked. 

“Yeah, but it had to be done,” Alex said. “How’d you really beat him?” 

Rose grinned, and Alex knew the answer before Rose said it. Given that “grin” was Rose’s default facial expression, Alex had worked out what each grin meant. That one was her “I fixed it” grin. She didn’t speak a word before she vanished from sight. 

“It’s about time,” Alex said. 

She was so relieved that it didn’t occur to her for nearly five minutes that Rose had just sent Sirius Black’s target outside, _unprotected_. 

After muttering an impolite word under her breath, Alex bolted out of Gryffindor Tower, pushing students aside to get out as fast as she could. 

* * *

Neville and Luna were wandering aimlessly about the first floor. Harry, Sally-Anne, and Ginny had gone to talk with Professor Lupin about the Patronus Charm again. The three of them were the best at it, and even Ron and Hermione (although the latter had stopped going to the lessons) got something out of it. 

Neville couldn’t even get a ball of light to appear. Professor Lupin said he chose good memories, ones of his friends or talking to his parents, but he couldn’t get the spell right. 

Luna had given up too, although she wouldn’t say why. Neville didn’t mind so much, since it meant he had someone with whom to wander while waiting for his other friends. 

“Guess what?” 

Neville felt a hand grab his shoulder, and saw that Rose had her arm around him, and her other arm around Luna. She had the biggest grin he’d ever seen on her face, as her eyes darted between him and Luna. 

“What?” Neville asked. 

“I’m gonna fix it,” Rose said. “Just a few things I wanted to do first, then I’m gonna find Sirius Black.” 

Neville’s eyes grew wide, and he started laughing. He couldn’t believe it! He’d been waiting months to hear Rose say that, and the day had finally arrived. She was going to fix it, just like he knew she would. 

“That’s brilliant!” Neville exclaimed. 

“Before I do, I want to let you two know how wonderful you’ve been doing this year,” Rose said. “Not just in practice, but you’ve kept your heads held high, and even _I_ couldn’t do that.” 

“Thank you, Rose,” Luna said. “That’s kind of you to say.” 

Tutela barked her agreement, looking just as excited as Rose was. 

“What’s the plan now?” Neville asked. 

“I need you two to… I can’t believe I’m about to ask this, but I need you two to fetch Professor Dumbledore.” 

Neville frowned. Over the past few months, Rose treated the topic of Professor Dumbledore almost like the topic of dragons. She hated talking about him, but Neville couldn’t think why. What had Professor Dumbledore done that made Rose so upset? It wasn’t as if the Dementors were _his_ fault. Professor Dumbledore would never do something like that. 

“Tutela will lead you to wherever I end up,” Rose said, pulling out _Serendipity_. “Just in case, let’s add something.” 

She waved her wand, but Neville felt no different. 

“What happened?” he asked. 

<Can you two hear me?>

Neville jumped, startled by the voice in his head. 

<I can hear you,> came Luna’s voice in his head. 

“ _Telepathic bond_ ,” Rose explained. “It will last for about three hours, so we can stay in communication until then. It’s easy; just concentrate on Luna or I, and think.” 

Neville nodded, briefly wondering why Rose specifically addressed him and not Luna. Maybe they’d drilled it in training already, and Rose hadn’t gotten around to it with him yet. 

Rose grinned. 

“The Dementors will be gone!” she exclaimed. “The nightmare’s over!” 

Neville didn’t know what else to do, so he hugged Rose. He realized it could’ve gone horribly wrong, but she hugged him right back. Rose pulled Luna into their group hug, and Tutela nestled up against them. 

“I knew you could do it, Rose,” Neville whispered. 

“Thanks, Toad,” Rose said. “Thanks both of you.” 

“Before you go, there’s something important,” Neville said, taking a notebook out of his pack. “I tried to tell you on Friday, but you weren’t paying attention.” 

“I’ve been occupied,” Rose said. 

“Professor Trelawney said something during Divination. It wasn’t like her normal predictions, so I thought it was important.” 

Neville began to read from his notebook. 

_The world will shudder so vermin can run_  
_Straight through a scar that cannot be undone_  
_From out of the scar, a snake will rise_  
_Fed by desperation and nested in lies_  
_The snake will poison all it sees_  
_Even the frogs and roses will catch its disease_  
_When they succumb and stain the world red_  
_The Dark Lord will rise from the dead_  


Neville looked to Rose to interpret it, but she remained silent. 

“Crab apples,” Rose said. “I hate prophecies. What’s the point? They never tell you anything until _after_ it’s already happened!” 

“What’s it mean?” Neville asked. “Frogs and roses is me and you, isn’t it?” 

“I don’t know,” Rose replied. “I promise I’ll figure it out. When you find Professor Dumbledore, tell him. He’ll want to know.” 

Neville nodded as Rose was replaced by a cloud of rose petals. 

* * *

Fred and George often lived by the phrase “Expect the unexpected”, but neither of them would’ve guessed what Rose told them. 

“Sirius Black is _Padfoot_?” Fred asked again. 

“He was one of the Marauders, so I can use the map to find him,” Rose explained again. “I will stab one of you if it gets the other one to hand over the map. I can end all of this madness right now.” 

Fred and George exchanged glances. It seemed too good to be true, and didn’t make a lot of sense. Their instincts told them that this was a trick, most likely intended to rid them of the Marauders’ Map. 

“How do we know you’re not just trying to take the map for yourself?” one of them asked. 

A ruby-red baton appeared in Rose’s right hand. 

“If I wanted the map, I’d just take it,” Rose said. “I don’t even know that I can use it, and I can just kill you both right now and take it.” She extended her left hand to them. “Map.” 

The boys exchanged glances again, then Fred reached into his robes. He hesitantly handed the Marauders’ Map to Rose. 

She took the map from him, and the baton disappeared. After switching the map to her right hand, her wand appeared in her left. 

“Ready for this?” Rose asked excitedly. “I’ve been waiting all year to say this.” 

She held her wand in one hand, and the Marauders’ Map in the other. 

“ _Discern Location – Sirius Black!_ ” 

The Twins watched as Rose stared into space, her wand held just an inch from her face. After a few seconds, a broad smile formed on her lips. 

“I’ve got him,” Rose said. 

“You’re sure?” Fred asked. 

“Positive, but I haven’t got the grounds memorized,” Rose replied, handing them the map. “Does this show the grounds?” 

“Sure,” Fred replied, activating and unfolding the map. 

Rose scanned the map, muttering something neither boy understood. After a minute, she pointed at a spot on the map. There was nothing there, but not far from it was a dot labeled “Sirius Black”. The dot was between the Whomping Willow and the vegetable patch. 

“That’s brilliant!” George exclaimed. “You’ve–” 

He stopped when he saw Rose’s face. She looked horrified. 

“What is it?” 

Rose’s head whipped back and forth between them. 

“Why aren’t you with Cohort?” she asked. 

“He’s in the common room, so we took some time off,” Fred said. “He’ll be–” 

“Not anymore,” George said when he saw what Rose saw. He pointed to a spot not far from where Sirius Black’s dot was. 

Two dots labeled “Ronald Weasley” and “Hermione Granger” were moving quickly around the dot labeled “Sirius Black”. 

“Sirius Black is after him, and I sent him outside!” Rose exclaimed. 

“What?!” both boys exclaimed. 

“Mum’s gonna kill us if she finds out we’re not with him!” George exclaimed. 

“ _Telepathic bond!_ ” Rose exclaimed, jabbing each of them in the forehead with a finger. “Run to Gryffindor Tower, grab Alex, and get down to the first floor.” 

“Why?” Fred asked as Rose pulled a charm off her bracelet. 

“Because if anything goes wrong, she’ll know what to do next,” Rose said, taking a staff from the quiver charm. “ _Dimension Door!_ ” 

Rose disappeared, and the Twins raced back to Gryffindor Tower. They ran right into Alex not 30 seconds later. 

“Sirius Black,” one of them panted. 

“Outside,” added the other. “Ronniekins.” 

“Show me!” Alex ordered. 

* * *

Ron ran as fast as he could. He nearly ran into Professor McGonagall, and lost five house points for running in the corridors, but he didn’t care. Everything was going to be alright. 

He ran outside as the sun was starting to reach the horizon, and ran along the outside of the vegetable patch. His lungs were on fire, but still Ron ran as fast as he could, eager to reach Hermione. 

Sitting with her back up against the wall on the western edge of the patch was Hermione. As Rose had said, she was staring vacantly off into the distance. 

“Hermione?” he asked. 

Her head whipped around to face him, and he saw that she was crying. 

Ron got a sinking feeling. Hermione was already upset, which didn’t bode well for him. Maybe he should just leave. 

_No,_ Ron ordered himself. _I’ve got to do this._

“I’m… I should’ve said… I’m sorry,” Ron stumbled out. 

Hermione wiped tears out of her eyes. 

“You don’t have to apologize,” Hermione said. “I was wrong.” 

Now Ron was confused. Hermione was _never_ wrong about anything. He didn’t remember calling her a mudblood, but if Hermione said it happened, then he must’ve forgotten, no matter how unlikely that was. 

Hermione patted the ground next to her, and Ron slowly joined her. 

“Luna told me months ago, just after those trolls were set up outside Gryffindor Tower, but I didn’t believe her,” Hermione said. “She told me that my _ring of sustenance_ doesn’t work if I don’t get at least two hours of sleep, and the nightmares got so bad that I wasn’t.” 

Hermione had hardly _looked_ at Ron in the past several months, so he hadn’t seen it. Now he saw the dark circles under Hermione’s eyes. Her skin was pale, her eyes were half open, but still she looked… something. Ron didn’t have the word for it, but something about the way the light hit her looked right, even if she looked like she was about to fall asleep any second. 

“She told me that sometimes stress could make you remember things that didn’t happen,” Hermione said. “I didn’t believe her because I was so sure about what had happened that I didn’t think I was wrong.” 

“Of course not,” Ron said. “You’re Hermione Granger. You’re _never_ wrong about anything. I must’ve… I don’t know, forgotten or something.” 

Hermione shot him a crooked smile. 

“You’re insensitive, impulsive, hotheaded, and arrogant, but you’re not nasty. You’ve got a good heart, Ron, and you believed in us when we needed it. I should’ve realized that you would never have called me such a horrible name. I…” Hermione paused for a moment to wipe the tears out of her eyes. “I’m sorry.” 

Ron couldn’t believe it. Hermione was apologizing to _him_. 

“It’s okay,” Ron said. 

For a time, they both stared at the setting sun. A bird flew into the Whomping Willow and vanished with a loud chirp. 

“Why’d you come out here?” Hermione asked. “How’d you know where to find me?” 

“Rose,” Ron said. “You’ll never believe it, but she nearly beat me at chess.” 

Hermione turned and stared at him in shock. 

“You’re kidding.” 

“She offered me a draw and I took it. She had me beat.” 

“But she can’t… I mean, she hasn’t got the attention span for–” 

Hermione’s eyes grew wide, and she clapped her hands to her mouth. 

“What?” Ron asked. 

“She fixed it!” 

“Fixed what?” 

“The ward! It’s been stopping her from talking with her family all year! Without it, she could just have Shadow or Sk’lar tell her what to do!” 

Ron couldn’t believe it. Even as tired as she was, Hermione was _still_ amazing. It had occurred to Ron that someone could’ve been helping Rose, but he never considered it was her family. If he hadn’t just lost to Rose, he still wouldn’t believe they existed, but there was no way Rose beat him on her own. It was like Hermione said; Rose had _no_ attention span. 

“But how’d you know where to find me? I haven’t got the _condition conch_ on me.” 

“Rose knew where you were,” Ron said, shrugging. “I don’t know.” 

They sat in silence for a few minutes until Hermione broke it again with yet another question. 

“Ron, you remember back in September when I got hurt by that boggart?” Hermione asked. 

Ron nodded. He’d never forget that day. The dragon looming over a terrified Rose, and Hermione taking the hit because Sally-Anne and Rose couldn’t. Ron hated that day, because it had reminded him that he couldn’t think fast enough. He longed to go back and change what happened, to get it right. He could’ve pulled Hermione out of the way, but he’d been too slow. 

“Why’d you stay with me that night in the Hospital Wing?” Hermione asked. 

“You really want to know?” Ron asked. 

“That’s sort of why I asked.” 

“I was afraid that if Rose came back, found out that you were hurt, and that _I_ could’ve saved you, she’d kill me. So I thought I’d make sure you were alright, so she at least saw that I was doing _something_.” 

“Oh,” Hermione said. 

Ron thought about it. That was the reason, wasn’t it? It must’ve been. Hermione was his friend, but she wasn’t worth staying the night in the Hospital Wing. Ron had wanted Hermione to receive proper care, and arguing with Madame Pomfrey about it hadn’t gotten him anywhere. 

She suddenly burst into laughter, which made Ron curious and happy at the same time. 

“What?” he asked, a smile forming on his lips. 

“I’d completely forgotten that Madame Pomfrey called you my boyfriend, since she’s only seen boys so stubborn about their girlfriends before.” 

Ron started laughing. 

“When Charlie sent me that book, he told me that we could thank him by naming our– as in you and me– first-born child after him.” 

The two of them kept on laughing for what felt like hours. It felt great to laugh again. Ron never wanted to stop laughing. 

“Have you still got that book?” Hermione asked. 

“Right here,” Ron said, reaching into his pack. 

He handed the book to Hermione, who looked at it for a few moments after accepting it. 

“How’d you get this?” Hermione asked. “I mean, how’d you even know about it?” 

“I asked Sally-Anne what I should get you, and she told me to ask Professor Vector. I did, and she told me that Christine Borrell’s husband worked at the Romanian Dragon Preserve. He owed Charlie a favor, and now so do I.” 

Hermione stared down at the book, and Ron remembered something else he wanted to tell her. 

“I didn’t just get it because you were upset,” Ron said. “I didn’t know what I did, and I couldn’t figure out how to make you happy again. I just wanted to make you happy.” 

Hermione flipped through the book, finally noticing the inscription Ron wrote in the back. When she read it, she started laughing again. 

“‘For the next time we find ourselves fighting a basilisk in the Hospital Wing. Happy Christmas, Ron.’” she read. 

Ron blushed and hoped that Hermione wasn’t laughing at what he’d written. Maybe he should’ve ignored Sally-Anne and gone with one of his original ideas. 

“Sally-Anne wouldn’t let me do any of my other ideas,” Ron said. “Is that alright?” 

“I love it!” Hermione exclaimed. “I haven’t laughed this much in months!” 

“Me either,” Ron said as he began to laugh again. 

After they settled down, Hermione reached over and put her arms around Ron. 

“Thanks, Ron,” she said. 

Ron slowly hugged Hermione, and suddenly everything wasn’t so bad anymore. They were friends again, and it was the best feeling in the world. It was as if he’d woken up from a bad dream, and found that everything was even better than it had been when he’d gone to sleep. 

Ron was happy, until he asked himself why. Why was he so happy? Well that was easy: He’d been forgiven. All he’d wanted for months was to hear Hermione say “I forgive you”. He’d finally been forgiven, and they were friends again. 

No matter how hard he tried, Ron couldn’t shake the feeling that something was different. As he sat in the grass, holding Hermione (whom he suspected had fallen asleep), something felt different. 

He liked Hermione well enough, but he didn’t… _like_ her, did he? 

Ron pulled away from Hermione, brutally murdering the thought before it got any farther than that. 

“What?” Hermione asked, looking around. “I wasn’t sleeping. I’m awake.” 

“It’s just… We should get back inside,” Ron said. “Before curfew.” 

“Right.” 

Ron and Hermione stood up to leave. 

“Sorry… if I fell asleep just now,” Hermione said. 

“It’s fine,” Ron said quickly. “Rose can fix that.” 

“Of course she can,” Hermione said, laughing. “Come on. Let’s go home.” 

As they started off towards the castle, Ron heard something crunch a twig from behind them. Ron and Hermione whirled around, Ron drawing his wand as they did. 

In front of them stood a scraggly black dog. His eyes twinkled as they reflected the setting sun, and he bared his teeth at them as they stared one another down. 

_Sirius Black,_ Ron thought. 


	20. Free at Last

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a man, after many years of imprisonment, is finally free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** I doubt I'd ever be free if I forgot to mention that J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter.

Neville and Luna walked quickly to the top floor, hoping to find Professor Dumbledore in his office. Tutela ran beside them; they had more important matters to attend to than her being seen by someone. 

As they reached the fifth floor, they ran into Harry, Sally-Anne, and Ginny. 

“What’s going on?” Harry asked, seeing his friends in distress. 

“Rose found Sirius Black.” 

Harry’s heart stopped. It was the moment he’d been waiting for all year. His moment to get revenge on the man who turned his parents over to Voldemort. He could hardly think about what to do next. 

“Where?!” he demanded. 

“Near the Whomping Willow, but–” 

Harry ran past Neville and Luna, right into a barrier that wasn’t in front of him a moment ago. 

“Don’t you dare!” Sally-Anne was nearly red-faced as she dropped the barrier. “He’ll kill you!” 

Harry whirled around, fists clenched, ready to tear down anyone that stood in his way. 

“I don’t care! I’ve got to make him pay for what he did!” 

He assessed Sally-Anne’s body language. Straight back, eyes forward, completely focused on Harry. She wasn’t backing down either, but all he needed was an opening. 

“And Rose won’t?” 

“I can take him this time! I know it!” 

Why wouldn’t they listen? Why didn’t anyone listen to him? Harry knew he could handle Sirius Black on his own. He could sense anyone coming and snipe a moving target from 30 feet away. He only needed one shot at Black to make him pay. 

“It’s not just him out there! If you find him, and the Dementors spot you two, they’ll flock straight to him! They’ve got orders to kiss on sight. Do you know what that means?” 

“Of course I do! They take his soul! So what?” 

“Remember the Express? Remember how that Dementor went after us when it was supposed to be looking for him? Or the Quidditch Match in November? Or how those Dementors searched _our_ carriages and no one else’s? They don’t care about doing their job! They just want easy prey! One look at you, and every Dementor will fly straight for you! That will be it! They’ll take your soul and you’ll be empty!” 

Harry understood, but this was something he needed to do. For his mum and his dad, and even their friend Peter who tried to stop Sirius Black the night he betrayed them. The Dementor’s Kiss scared him; Harry couldn’t imagine what it was like to lose someone like that. Their body still there, but their mind completely gone. He wasn’t sure if he’d be able to stand that happening to Ron, or Sally-Anne, or Cho. 

_She_ wouldn’t doubt him. Why was Sally-Anne always babying him? Sally-Anne was worried about him, but he didn’t _need_ someone worrying about him. Being sheltered by her wasn’t that different from being kept in the dark by the Dursleys. Someone was always telling him to stay out of something, and that he wasn’t important enough to be treated like a normal person. 

Sally-Anne began to cry. It hurt a little to see his friend upset, but he could apologize later. Now wasn’t the time to worry about her. He needed to stay focused on getting Sirius Black. 

“Fine.” Sally-Anne’s voice was soft, but she recovered quickly. “But I’m going with you.” 

“Thank you,” Harry huffed. 

The two ran off, ignorant of the rest of their friends. 

“I’m not getting left behind again!” 

Ginny took off after Harry and Sally-Anne, leaving Neville, Luna, and Tutela behind. 

The pair exchanged glances and shrugged. They had direct orders from Rose, and neither one had any ideas of disobeying them. 

* * *

Ron and Hermione backed away from the dog. Hermione felt the wall that blocked sight of the Whomping Willow from the rest of the castle behind her. She was trapped. 

Black lunged at the pair. Hermione and Ron hesitated for just a split-second, losing their opening on Black, but someone else had them covered. 

Another spell threw Black towards the Whomping Willow. He landed on his side as a familiar house-elf lept out from behind the wall and put himself between them and the dog. 

“Sirius Black will not be harming Dripty’s friends!” 

“Dripty!” Hermione exclaimed. 

“What are you doing here?” Ron asked. 

“Dripty is keeping an eye on Miss Hermione for Miss Rose, since Miss Hermione is not carrying her blue seashell.” 

“So that makes three of us that are being followed all the time,” Ron muttered. 

That sparked an idea in Hermione’s head. Fred and George! They were never far behind Ron. 

“Where are Fred and George?” 

“Don’t know.” 

The dog climbed to his feet and bolted at them again. Dripty ran towards Black before Ron or Hermione could stop him and thrust his hand into the air. A shimmering wave flew from the elf, but Black was ready. He turned back into a human, rolled out of the way of Dripty’s magic, then lunged at Dripty as a dog. 

“No!” Hermione screamed as Sirius grabbed Dripty and threw him into the wall. 

She raised her hand to attack Sirius, but Ron was already ready. 

“ _Scotoro!_ ” 

Sirius was knocked off his feet by the scattering hex, but recovered shortly after landing on the ground. 

“ _Accio Dripty!_ ” 

The house-elf’s limp body flew into Ron’s arms. 

“Dripty!” he called. 

“Dripty is being alright,” Dripty replied wearily. 

“He’s conscious,” Ron said. 

“Dripty, can you contact Rose?” Hermione asked. 

“Who is being Rose?” Dripty asked. 

“He’s delirious,” Hermione said. “I doubt that’s on the list of conditions Rose is informed of.” 

Sirius Black began to charge them, but Hermione reacted first and threw up her hand. 

“ _Atala!_ ” 

Black froze in place. 

“Brilliant,” Ron said. “What was that?” 

“Wandless immobilization charm,” Hermione replied. “It doesn’t last long. We’ve got to get out of here.” 

“Take Dripty,” Ron said. “He’s after me, so Dripty will be in more danger if I’ve got him.” 

Hermione could hardly believe what she just heard. Not only was Ron was thinking about someone else, but a house-elf. 

“Ron, that’s–” 

“He’s breaking free!” Ron shouted. 

Hermione took Dripty from Ron as Sirius lunged at them. Ron pointed his wand at the ground. 

“ _Scotoro!_ ” 

Sirius, Hermione, and Ron were all thrown back. Hermione held Dripty in her arms, making sure to shield him with her body. She landed on the soft grass, hardly sore from the fall (Rose had done much worse to her), but Ron was slammed into the wall. 

“Ron!” Hermione gasped, climbing to her feet. 

The dog recovered faster than she did and went straight at Ron. He clamped down on Ron’s right arm, and Hermione saw blood seep out of the wound. 

“Ah!” Ron gasped. He gritted his teeth and began to kick Black. This ultimately resulted in the dog clamping onto his leg instead of his arm. 

Hermione heard a crunching sound as Ron’s leg was broken. 

“Let go of him!” Hermione raised her hand for another spell, cradling Dripty in her offhand. 

“ _Crosa!_ ” 

The ground around the boys turned to quicksand, but Sirius lept out of the way before it took full effect. 

“We is not having croissants today,” Dripty muttered. 

Hermione gingerly laid the house-elf down on the wall, then ran towards Ron to put some distance between her and Dripty. She dispelled the quicksand, but Black went after her the second she did. With her reflexes and mind dulled by her sleep deprivation, all she could do was scream as Sirius Black attacked her. 

“ _Depulso!_ _Accio Hermione!_ ” 

The black dog flew through the air, caught off guard by a repulsion charm, as Hermione flew through the air and landed in front of Ron. When she looked up, she hardly believed what she saw. 

Ron stood on one leg, keeping his weight off his bad leg, and held his wand in his left hand. Ron’s arm twitched with anticipation while his eyes bore holes into Black, tracing his every move. Hermione couldn’t believe it was the same boy who couldn’t open his mouth without inserting his foot into it. 

“Thanks,” Hermione said, climbing to her feet. “He’s a lot tougher than I thought he’d be. How do we beat him?” 

“We don’t.” Ron was sullen when he said it, but spoke with such certainty Hermione found it hard to argue. 

“What?” 

“We don’t need to beat him. We just need to stall long enough for Rose to find us.” 

“I haven’t got the _condition conch_. She’s not going to find us.” 

“What about Dripty’s?” 

“They attune to one person, it–” 

“Then you take Dripty and run. It’s me he wants, not you. Find Rose, or McGonagall… Hell, I’ll take _Snape_.” 

“I’m not leaving you!” 

“And I’m not gonna let you get hurt again! Not if I can stop it!” 

Sirius lept at them. Ron raised his wand, but Hermione didn’t realize he wasn’t aiming it at Black before it was too late. 

“ _Depulso!_ ” 

Ron’s spell hurled Hermione through the air. She landed not far from Dripty, recovering in time to see Black reach Ron. 

“Ron!” 

Black knocked Ron to the ground and grabbed his left arm, crippling it just like the right. He dragged Ron towards the Whomping Willow. 

“Run!” Ron shouted. 

Ron’s right arm was limp, and he wasn’t in a position to fight back with his legs. Still, he struggled against the dog. 

Hermione scrambled to her feet and threw her hand towards the pair. 

“ _Atala!_ ” 

Sirius froze in place, but began moving after just a few seconds. 

“ _Atala!_ ” Hermione screamed, but it was even less effective than the previous charm. 

“Forget about me!” Ron shouted. “Run!” 

“ _Atala!_ ” Sobs broke up Hermione’s voice as she tried again and again to freeze Black. Sorrow threatened to overwhelm her after each failed attempt to save her friend. Ron sacrificed himself to save her, and her repayment was letting him be dragged off by a murderer. 

There was nothing she could do except watch. 

“Drop him or I drop you.” 

Hermione nearly lept for joy when Rose appeared. She had a firm grip on the dog’s neck, while the dog retained his firm grip on Ron. 

“Drop him, Padfoot.” 

Black’s eyes darted to Rose, then returned to Ron. 

“That’s right, I know who you are. I know about your entire group of misfits, including the one sneaking up on me!” 

Rose raised her right arm and drew _Crimson Thorn_. She took aim just past Hermione as a blue orb appeared at the tip of her weapon. 

Hermione whipped her head around, and sure enough, another person stepped out of the shadows cast by the setting sun. He kept his wand trained on the trio, although Hermione couldn’t tell at whom he was aiming. 

“Professor Lupin?” Hermione gasped. 

“Let him go, Rose,” he said. 

“What are you doing here?” Rose asked. 

“It’s a long story, but you’ve got to let him go.” 

“No, I mean what are you doing here this close to moonrise? It’s a full moon tonight, in case you weren’t paying attention!” 

Wheels began to turn in the haze in Hermione’s mind. Professor Lupin was absent for about one week every month. The last time he’d been absent, Professor Snape gave them a pop quiz on wolfsbane potion, which was used to suppress the animalistic instincts of a werewolf when they transformed. Finally, Rose had just mentioned the full moon. 

Professor Lupin was a werewolf. 

“He’s a werewolf?” asked Ron, apparently arriving at the same conclusion as Hermione. 

“I–” Professor Lupin started. 

“That’s not all I know,” Rose continued. “I know who you’re _really_ after, Padfoot, and I know who _really_ killed all those people 12 years ago. I know where to find him, but I’ll only help if you _let Ron go._ ” 

Hermione looked from Ron, to Rose, to Sirius, to Professor Lupin. Even with Rose, Hermione wasn’t sure how they’d fare against a teacher. Rose could only do so much, and Professor Lupin wasn’t ten feet from where Hermione was standing. Not to mention, Dripty was still delirious, and both of Ron’s arms were broken. It’d be Hermione and Rose against Black and Lupin, and Hermione was in not state to fight. 

“Do as she says,” Professor Lupin said, lowering his wand. “If there’s anyone that can find him, it’s her.” 

After a brief hesitation, Sirius Black released Ron’s arm. As he did, _Crimson Thorn_ vanished into Rose’s glove, and she drew _Serendipity_. 

“ _I wish he were healed,_ ” Rose whispered, gingerly touching Ron’s arm. 

Ron’s body glowed with a faint silvery light, which quickly vanished as if it were a wisp of smoke on the wind. When the light was gone, Ron’s wounds had healed. 

“What did I tell you about letting your hand get injured?” Rose asked. 

“Not to, I know,” Ron replied, climbing to his feet. “Left-handed casting was a good fallback, though.” 

“Where’s Scabbers?” Rose asked. 

Ron patted himself down. 

“I had him just a moment ago,” Ron said. “I was going to show Hermione, and… and apologize for saying Crookshanks ate him.” 

“It’s fine,” Hermione said. “Why do you need him?” 

“He’s not a rat,” Rose said. “He’s a man disguised as a rat.” She held her wand to her face. “ _I wish I knew where Scabbers was._ ” 

After six seconds, Rose pointed her wand at the grass. 

“ _Ob, fetch._ ” 

Rose’s shadow stood up, taking the shape of her personal kleptomaniac. Obtenebar darted at the spot in the grass, tackling a small shape before it could get away. The rat thrashed around in Obtenebar’s grasp, desperately trying to escape her clutches. 

Rose kept her wand aimed at the pair, then muttered another spell under her breath. 

Before their eyes, the rat was replaced by a stout, balding man. His face resembled that of a rat’s, and he fidgeted as he stood up and looked around. 

Beside Ron and Rose, the dog reverted to a man. Sirius was thin and frail, with grungy black hair. 

“Sirius!” “Scabbers” gasped. “Remus! My friends!” 

“Save it!” Professor Lupin barked. 

“Hermione, Rose, what’s happening?” Ron asked. 

“Hermione, Ron, meet Peter Pettigrew,” Rose said. “The former Secret Keeper for James and Lily Potter, until he outed them to Voldie.” 

Hermione looked at the group, and found herself relieved that she wasn’t the only one confused about this. 

“Rose, just how much do you know?” Professor Lupin asked. 

Rose explained everything she’d learned about them. James Potter, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew had attended Hogwarts together, giving themselves nicknames based on each one’s alternate form. They called themselves the Marauders, and stayed friends after graduation. When Voldemort set his sights on James and his wife Lily, they took action to hide them. Using a type of magic called the Fidelius Charm, they hid them, making their location secret to everyone but one person. It’d have been too obvious if Sirius kept their secret, so they turned to Pettigrew instead. Sirius realized that Pettigrew had been turned, but found him too late to make a difference. Peter fought back, setting off an explosion and faking his own death to escape. 

“ _This_ worthless waste of clothing turned into a rat, cutting off three of his fingers so it’d look like Sirius Black had killed him in the explosion. Since Sirius’s family is known for dark magic already, people didn’t think too hard about what had happened. Petey escaped and took his place as the Weasley rat for 12 years. That’s why he didn’t look so great over the summer. He saw that Sirius Black was out of Azkaban, and knew that Sirius would go right after him. After Cohort insisted that Scabbers be in the picture of you lot for the _Daily Propaganda_ article about the Basilisk killing, Sirius realized that Petey was still alive and worked out a plan to escape. He escaped because Dementors are _useless_ and can’t properly detect an animagus. He fled, kept an eye on Harry over the summer since Padfoot’s still Harry’s _torerl_ , then came here to try to grab Wormtail.” 

“But–” Ron began. 

“Not done. Professor Lupin figured it out when he saw Petey roaming the castle as Scabbers and recognized the rat. He helped Sirius get away on Hallowe’en night, and that night a few months ago, and helped him avoid further detection. Moony didn’t tell anyone because he thought no one would believe him.” 

Ron and Hermione looked from Rose, to Peter, to Sirius, then to Professor Lupin. 

“Am I wrong?” Rose asked. 

“Pardon my language,” Lupin said, “but how the bloody Hell did you figure all that out?” 

“Shadow told me,” Rose replied, as if it were supposed to explain everything. 

Except for Hermione, to whom that made perfect sense, everyone stared at Rose. 

“Moony?” 

“Yes, Sirius?” 

“Who the Hell is this girl?” 

“Salutations!” Rose exclaimed, curtsying. “Rose Peta-Lorrum. It’s nice to meet you.” 

“Sure,” Sirius replied, turning back to Professor Lupin. “Can we kill him now?” 

“Sirius, there are children around,” Professor Lupin snapped. 

“We’ve seen someone die before,” Rose said, pointing her wand at Hermione and muttering something under her breath. 

Hermione felt like she’d just got a full night’s rest, something that hadn’t happened in months. Add to that the fighting was over and Sirius Black was handled, and Hermione felt better than she’d felt all year. 

“Mr. Black,” Hermione said, “if you kill him, he can’t confess to killing all those people.” 

“I can’t!” Peter gasped. “The Dark Lord… Sirius, you know what he’s like! He’ll torture me!” 

“Big deal,” Rose scoffed. “I’ve been tortured before. You’ll live.” She crouched down next to Peter. “Wanna know what _I’ll_ do to you if you _don’t_ confess?” 

“Never mind what _you’ll_ do,” Sirius snapped. “Wormtail should be worried about what _I’ll_ do to him.” 

Rose paid Sirius little mind, instead looking to Hermione. 

“Brain, have I ever explained how my scrolls work before?” 

Hermione wracked her brain for anything about Rose’s scrolls, then came to the conclusion that Rose hadn’t. 

“Scrolls are brilliant in a pinch,” Rose said, pulling a charm off her bracelet. “Single use, unfortunately, so I only ever worry about the high level spells that I can’t replicate with _Serendipity_.” 

The charm she removed grew into a gold, cylindrical case. She took a hold of the handles and pulled it open. Inside was a pearly white scroll with gold runes that glistened in the fading sun. 

“This one’s called _exalted fury_ ,” Rose explained. “Deals damage equal to my current health, plus fifty, to all evil creatures within 60 feet of me. I’m saving that one for the Dementors.” 

“What are you–” Sirius began. 

“Let her talk,” Ron snapped. 

Rose rolled then unrolled the case, revealing another scroll. 

“This one’s called _time stop_. It’s a lot of fun, especially if I need to set up something. I stop time for everyone except myself for a few rounds. But that’s not why I know you’re going to help me.” 

Hermione looked at Rose, then at Peter. Why would Peter help her? He’d been hiding for 12 years, and Hermione was sure he’d take the first chance he got to escape. What did Rose have in that scrollcase? 

“See, Petey, here’s the thing,” Rose said. “The Dementors are here because of you. My friends have been having nightmares for months because of you. Brain and Cohort here have been fighting because Brain was so tired that she hallucinated. My little sister has been having nightmares so bad that she thrashes in her sleep. Princess won’t go near those things anymore. She’s terrified of them. _All because of you._ ” 

Hermione and Ron both recognized the look in Rose’s eye. Ron had been on the receiving end of it before, and ended up encased in amber. Rose was angry, but it was a focused angry. Hermione wasn’t sure if it was worse than her random-act-of-madness angry. 

“On top of all that, I’ve noticed that you’ve got a bad habit of spying on my friends while they’re changing,” Rose said. “You ever wonder why Crookshanks always attacked you when you tried that?” 

“What?!” exclaimed Ron and Hermione. 

Ron sprang to his feet, but Rose held up her hand to stop him. 

“You’ll have your chance, Cohort,” Rose said. “Firecracker, Princess, Brain. The only reason you’ve still got all four limbs is because Little Moon isn’t on that list. I _really_ don’t take kindly to people spying on my friends, Petey.” 

Hermione shuddered and wrapped her arms around herself. That wretched little weasel of a man had been watching her change?! She knew Rose wouldn’t let him get away with it, but that didn’t stop her from feeling repulsed. 

Rose unfurled another scroll. This one was pitch black, with glowing, blood-red runes. The scroll itself emanated evil. 

“This one’s one of my favorites,” Rose said, grinning maliciously. “This one’s called _mindrape_. It’s like the Imperius Curse, but it never ends.” 

Hermione had seen Rose lie before; the crimson-haired girl was a brilliant liar, so that’s what this was. No way Rose carried a scroll like _that_ around with her. It was just for show. Rose got angry sometimes, but she was never _cruel_. Looking at Rose now, Hermione got a bad feeling. Rose’s voice was smooth and calm, and her smile was cold. She eyed Pettigrew as a predator would eye her prey. 

“Once I cast this, I’ll learn everything you know. Then your mind becomes clay in my hands. I can shape it however I want. I can take away memories, put new ones in, and completely change your personality. Maybe I’ll make it so you can’t lie; maybe I’ll make it so you can’t _stop_ telling the truth. I could make your personal goal in life to seek out Voldemort and insult him to the best of your ability. And I can fill your head with plenty of curse words for the job.” 

Peter began to tremble. 

“You’re… You’re lying!” 

“I saw through your animagus, Petey. You think there’s anything I _can’t_ do? I can remove every happy memory you’ve got and replace them with nothing but pain and anguish. All you’ll know is that you’ve never had a good day in your life.” 

“Rose,” Professor Lupin said, taking a few steps towards the girl. 

Rose rolled up the scroll and revealed a new one. It looked similar to the previous one, but something about it seemed… worse. Hermione got a bad feeling just from looking at it. The scroll watched her with cold, unforgiving eyes that she couldn’t see. It made her want to run and hide so it would never find her, and more importantly, never _hurt_ her. 

“But _this_. _This_ is what’s going to make us best friends. After I use this, you’ll do anything I want. Because _this_ is a scroll of _eternity of torture_. It makes you immortal, Peter; you won’t age, you won’t need sleep or food, or even to breathe. You’ll live forever, but you spend your immortal life in unbearable, _excruciating_ agony. It would be like driving hot nails into every inch of your body, while someone beats you over the head with the hammer. Like the Cruciatus Curse, but _forever_.” 

“Rose!” Hermione shouted. 

“Can the Dark Lord do that?” Rose asked, apparently ignorant of everyone else. “No, the Cruciatus Curse has to stop eventually, hasn’t it? He’ll eventually get bored or tired, but _I_ won’t. You’ll just be in unbearable pain forever. Completely at my mercy, because I’m the only one who can stop it. After everything you’ve done… After everything you’ve put my friends through… After hurting my little sister, the sweetest little girl I’ve ever met, why should I stop? Why should I show you mercy?” 

“Your f-family,” Peter whimpered. He curled up into a ball, shielding his face from Rose. “I’ve heard you talk about them. Your brother and sister. They wouldn’t want you to harm me, would they?” 

Rose smiled at him, then rolled up the scroll. 

“That’s true,” Rose said. “They’re too nice. Sk’lar would never forgive me, I’d never hear the end of it from Alice, and Shadow… I don’t even know what Shadow would do. Even she doesn’t like hurting people like that. They’re good people, and they always know what’s right.” 

“Yes!” Peter exclaimed, looking as if he were about to cry from joy. “Yes!” 

“You know what the best part about them is?” 

Peter shook his head. 

“They’re not here.” 

Peter’s face went pale, and he started shaking in fear. His eyes grew wide and he tried to crawl away from Rose, but she planted her boot on him to hold him in place. 

“Rose, don’t you dare!” Hermione shouted. 

Hermione ran over to Rose, hoping to stop the girl from committing an unspeakable act. 

“It’s alright, Brain,” Rose said. “I’m going to fix it, just like I said I would.” 

“Rose–” 

<It’s alright, Brain.>

Hermione recognized the voice in her head. It was the same voice that spoke to her when the boggart attacked Sally-Anne. So far as Hermione could tell, it was Reflectesalon. Rose mentioned that her item familiar maintained telepathic communication with her. Perhaps he was able to communicate through Rose as well. 

In any case, if Reflectesalon wasn’t worried, then Rose had everything under control. Hermione took a few steps back. Reflectesalon was under orders to stop Rose from doing any real damage, at least to the students. If the spells were really as bad as Rose made them out to be, then Reflectesalon would stop her from using them. 

At least, Hermione _hoped_ he would. 

“Alright,” Hermione said. “After all, he deserves it.” 

“Well, my conscience is clear,” Rose said, unrolling one of the black scrolls. She began to read from the scroll in an unknown tongue. 

“Alright!” Peter shouted. “I’ll confess!” He turned to Sirius. “I’ll tell them everything! I’ll do anything you want, just _keep her away from me!_ ” 

“See, Petey,” Rose said, rolling up the scroll. “I told you we were gonna be friends.” She turned to Professor Lupin. “Professor Lupin, you and Cohort carry this one. Padfoot, I’ll need you in your dog form. Fewer people will recognize you like that. Brain, how’s Dripty doing?” 

Hermione turned back and saw that Dripty was vacantly watching everything that happened. 

“He’s not doing so well,” Hermione replied. 

“Not a problem,” Rose said, removing her foot from Pettigrew after Ron took over. “Remember, Cohort, he’s taken advantage of your family’s kindness for 12 years while spying on your little sister, and he only needs to be able to talk.” 

Rose appeared next to Dripty, and waved _Serendipity_ over the elf. A light identical to the one she used on Ron appeared around Dripty, and the house-elf stood up. 

“Dripty is so sorry, Miss Rose,” Dripty sobbed. “Dripty was trying–” 

“Dripty, you did great,” Rose said. “If it hadn’t been for you, I wouldn’t have known where Brain was. Thank you.” 

Dripty nodded as Professor Lupin went to help Ron secure Pettigrew and probably to stop the boy from injuring Pettigrew. 

“Rose, were you really going to use that on him?” Hermione whispered. 

“I wasn’t reading the scroll,” Rose replied just as quietly. “I was speaking a song your cousins taught me, just in Infernal.” 

“What song?” 

“‘Itsy Bitsy Spider’.” 

“You just bluffed him with ‘Itsy Bitsy Spider’,” Hermione said flatly. 

“Yup.” 

“I’m not sure if that’s amazing or mad, although, I’d say that about sums you up.” 

Hermione, Rose, and Dripty joined Professor Lupin, Ron, and Sirius. 

“Erm… Mr. Black?” Ron asked. 

“I’m sorry if I scared you,” Sirius said. “I really was only after your rat.” 

“Me? Scared?” Ron scoffed. “No, I wanted to know how you got the password to Gryffindor Tower. That night when you were standing over me with a knife.” 

“My _other_ accomplice,” Sirius explained, nodding to Hermione. “Her cat.” 

“Crookshanks?” Hermione asked. 

“I can communicate with him on some level. He may only be half-kneazle, but he’s every bit as brilliant as a pureblood.” 

“Just like Hermione,” Ron said, grinning. 

“Oh good, you’re learning,” Hermione said, happy for the complement. She had to admit, Ron was nice when he wanted to be, and when he wasn’t being an impulsive git. 

“He overheard the password from some students that night, then came right to me,” Sirius said. 

“What’s the plan?” Professor Lupin asked Rose. 

“Why are you looking at me when the Think Tank is right here?” Rose asked, indicating Ron and Hermione. 

“Because you figured out _everything_ ,” Professor Lupin said. “You even… even…” 

Hermione gasped as Professor Lupin’s eyes turned yellow and his teeth began to grow. Clouds parted in the night sky to reveal the full moon. Its pearly white light shone down on them, triggering a transformation within the Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor. 

“Professor Lupin!” Hermione gasped. 

“Remus, did you take your wolfsbane potion today?” Sirius asked, releasing Pettigrew to tend to his friend. 

Professor Lupin clutched his head, shaking it violently. 

“Run!” Professor Lupin shouted. 

“As if I’m unprepared,” Rose scoffed, aiming _Serendipity_ at Professor Lupin. In a sing-song voice, she said, “ _Countermoon!_ ” 

As if someone pressed rewind, Professor Lupin began to revert to his human form. His teeth shrank, and the patches of gray fur that had started forming vanished. 

Everyone stared at Rose. 

“How does anything I do surprise anyone anymore?” Rose asked. “Second-level Druid spell that reverts a lycanthrope back to its original form for 12 hours.” She grinned and sighed. “I wish Shadow could see me now. She’s be so mildly impressed.” 

Professor Lupin stared up at the full moon in disbelief. 

“That’s… that’s amazing! I haven’t looked at the moon without fear since I was a little boy.” 

“When this is all over, I’ll see about making that permanent,” Rose said. “For now, I want to get this _gau halak_ to Professor Dumbledore.” 

Rose waved her wand, and they appeared outside the gates of Hogwarts. 

“Why not just bring us directly to Professor Dumbledore?” Ron asked. 

“Triumphant entry,” Rose replied. She kicked open the doors, revealing an empty entrance hall. 

“That’s disappointing,” Rose replied. “I was hoping for an audience.” 

“It’s almost curfew,” Hermione pointed out. 

“Oh well. Come on! It’s only seven floors up!” 

“But–” 

Not a second after they entered, the ground began to shake beneath them. It was small at first, but grew into a full scale tremor. 

“Earthquake!” Hermione shouted. 

“That’s not possible!” Professor Lupin shouted. “Hogwarts can’t be–” 

They were all knocked off their feet by another tremor. Chunks of rock fell from the ceiling above them, and Hermione’s vision began to go fuzzy. 

The last thing Hermione saw before she blacked out was a rat scampering through a crack in the wall. 


	21. Shock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Hogwarts is broken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** No one should be shocked to know that J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter.

“I’m not going to let you escape, Peter,” Rose said. “Instead, I’m going to take every happy memory you’ve got. Every memory that gives you hope or comfort; I’m going to take them all. People I cared about are dead because of you. After everything you’ve done– everything you’ve _caused_ – I _should_ take it all away.” 

* * *

**An Hour Earlier**

Harry quickly climbed to his feet. He, Sally-Anne, and Ginny weren’t far from the castle when the earth gave a sincere attempt at throwing him off into space. Harry had never been in an earthquake, so he didn’t know what one was like, but he imagined it was an awful lot like that. 

“Is everyone alright?” he asked. 

“I’m fine,” Sally-Anne said. 

“Me too,” Ginny added. 

“Come on,” Harry said. “We’ve got to keep running. We’re almost there.” 

“We should go back,” Sally-Anne said. “People could be hurt.” 

“They’ll be fine,” Harry said. “Rose and Professor Dumbledore will handle it.” 

“They could handle Sirius Black, too!” Sally-Anne said. “Please!” 

“I hate to break up your little lover’s spat,” Ginny said, “but I think we’ve got bigger problems.” 

“What do you mean?” Harry snapped, glaring at the ginger. 

When he turned to look at her, he found that she was staring at the sky. He knew what she was looking at before he looked, but he needed to know. To his horror, he’d been right. 

The Dementors flew through the night like moths flocking to a flame. He didn’t know how many of them there were, but he thought he counted at least 20. It didn’t look like all of them, but a lot of them. 

Harry raised his wand, and thought about his parents. They’d have been so proud of him if they knew he was going to help bring Sirius Black to justice. 

Would they? Had he been too cruel? What if Sally-Anne was right all along? What if his parents hated him for it? 

_That’s the Dementors talking,_ Harry told himself. _They’d be proud!_

“ _Expecto Patronum!_ ” Harry shouted, raising his wand to the Dementors. 

A shield sprang out of his wand, fending off the Dementors as they swooped down towards them. It didn’t stop them for long; within seconds they were descending upon the students once again. 

Behind Harry, Sally-Anne fell to her knees. She held her head in her hands and began to cry. 

“No!” she cried. “Make them stop!” 

It hit Harry that he’d made Sally-Anne cry not ten minutes ago. They were going to die out there, and the last thing he’d remember was making Sally-Anne cry and dismissing it as if it were nothing. 

“It’s alright,” he said, edging closer to her. “We’ll be fine.” 

“ _Expecto Patronum!_ ” Ginny shouted. 

A shimmering orb flew out of her wand, repelling the Dementors, but they kept swarming. 

“I can’t do it!” Ginny said. “I can’t!” 

“We’ve got to!” Harry shouted. “ _Expecto Patronum!_ ” 

This time, he shot a faint orb at them, but it had no effect on the Dementors. That was it. He was finished. Just like with the Philosopher’s Stone, he’d put all his friends in danger, and they were all about to die. Sally-Anne was always nice to him, and he’d been mean to her _again_. She was just trying to help. Why did he never realize that? 

“Expect…” Harry tried, but he couldn’t concentrate with the voice in his head. It shouted his name, and everything began to go fuzzy. He collapsed to the ground as the Dementors blocked out the moon, turning his entire world dark. 

“I’m sorry, Sally-Anne,” he whispered. “I’m so sorry.” 

He’d let down Sally-Anne and Ginny. Ron would never forgive him for getting his sister killed, and Rose and Hermione would be angry at him forever about Sally-Anne. He’d failed. Rose was right; he _wasn’t_ ready for this. Not just that, but he _deserved_ what was going to happen to him. People wouldn’t mourn him; the whole world really was like his aunt and uncle. 

“ _Expecto Patronum!_ ” 

The cloud of Dementors reflected a bright, blue-white light, the source of which Harry couldn’t see. The light was warm, comforting, like someone had thrown a soft, wool blanket over him. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to get lost in its warmth. The screaming died down just enough for him to hear the footfalls behind him. When Harry opened his eyes, he found the source of the light. 

Alex stood between them and the Dementors, her wand held at the ready. Her patronus, a grizzly bear, circled them, charging at any Dementor that dared to approach them. 

“Leave them alone!” Alex shouted at the Dementors. 

The Dementors circled them for a moment before deciding it wasn’t worth it. The bear floated down to Alex’s side as the Dementors flew off into the night. 

“Sally-Anne, it’s okay,” Alex said, crouching down to see the girl. 

“That was amazing!” Ginny exclaimed. 

“Thanks,” Alex said. She glanced behind them. “Boys! Keep up!” 

Harry sensed two more people and saw Fred and George trotting towards them. The boys stopped to catch their breath. They wheezed as if they were both about to fall over dead. 

“Don’t… you get… tired?” one of them panted. 

“Not when my cubs are in trouble,” Alex replied. “You know what they say about a mother bear and her cubs, right?” 

“She’ll eat you if you hurt them,” Sally-Anne said weakly. 

“Yes I will. Nothing makes me happier than knowing you’re safe, Sally-Anne.” Alex glanced at Harry and Ginny. “Them too, I guess.” 

“Thanks,” Harry said. 

“Are you two alright?” Alex asked. 

“Better now.” 

Everything was going to be alright. No one was angry at him. He just needed to learn to be more careful. 

“I’ll live,” Ginny said. “Probably.” 

“What happened?” Harry asked. 

“Good question,” Alex replied. 

* * *

“Miss Atrien!” Leyna exclaimed. “What’s happening?!” 

Leyna looked around the House-Elf Dorms. Chunks of the ceiling caved in, but it didn’t look like anyone was badly injured. With most of the elves on break before the night shift, there were a lot of house-elves to help clean up the damage. 

Leyna didn’t see Dripty, but she was sure he was on assignment for Miss Rose. Otherwise, she thought all the elves were in the dorms. 

“Atrien isn’t knowing, Leyna, but she is being certain that Professor Dumbledore will be knowing.” Atrien turned back to the other elves. “Is anyone being hurt?” 

“We is having some bumps and scrapes, but nothing bad,” one of the other elves said. 

“The house-elves is being fortunate,” Atrien said. “This could be being a lot worse.” 

Atrien turned to the largest of the cave-ins and levitated it back into place. With one hand managing the magic to hold it in place, Atrien traced around the rock with her other hand. As she did, the rock reformed and held in place. When the section of the ceiling was secure, Atrien dropped her arms, out of breath from the feat. 

“Wow,” Leyna said. 

“Leyna should be helping with the repairs,” Atrien said. 

“Leyna is so sorry,” Leyna said, curtsying apologetically. “Leyna will be starting right away!” 

The young elf looked around frantically for something with which she could help. Being one of the youngest elves in Hogwarts, she didn’t know how much help she could be. Still, she wanted to help as best she could. 

Leyna was so distracted by her search that she didn’t notice when a chunk of ceiling came loose above her head. 

“Leyna!” 

Leyna was knocked to the ground by the Head Elf just as the rock fell to the ground. 

“Miss Atrien!” Leyna and many other elves shouted. 

Several worked together to move the rubble from Atrien. Leyna rushed over to her ahead of everyone else. 

“Miss Atrien?” 

The Head Elf was covered in bruises and blood. Her eyes slowly opened and she groaned. 

“Tell Professor Dumbledore… Atrien… is being sorry… for letting him down.” 

“Miss Atrien!” Leyna shouted as Atrien’s eyes closed. “Miss Atrien!” 

* * *

All over the castle, people asked the same question as Harry and Leyna. Students began to panic, prefects called for order, but one girl began to gather information. 

Rose lept to her feet and surveyed the damage. The doors were sealed off, Pettigrew was gone, and her friends were injured. Rose could fix all of that, but like the rest of the school, she was more interested in what just happened. 

<Tutela, report. Eom.>

<Little Moon is safe. We reached Professor Dumbledore not long before the quake. Professor Dumbledore is recovering, and Toad is alright. I see significant damage to the area on the seventh floor. Eom.>

<Thanks.>

Rose ran through the list of people with whom she had telepathic communication. Counting just one more group, she turned her attention to her friends outside. 

<George, status.>

<Alive.>

<Thanks. A little more?>

<Fred, Alex, and me are outside. The way we got out is sealed off, but I think I know another way back in.>

<Did you find Princess and her group?>

<Erm…>

<Sally-Anne, Harry, and Ginny!> Rose clarified. 

<Yeah, they were under attack from some Dementors. Alex got rid of them. I don’t think she knows how to feel tired.>

<Good.>

Rose turned to Dripty and helped him to his feet. 

“Dripty, I need you to check on the common rooms. Most students should be inside.” 

“Dripty will try.” 

<Professor Dumbledore wants to know what happened,> Tutela said. 

<Working on it,> Rose replied as Dripty vanished. 

<Professor Dumbledore says Atrien isn’t responding,> Luna said. 

<On it.> Rose pulled out her picnic basket, and Intelligencer flew out of it. “Int, I’m sending you to the House-Elf Dorms.” 

Intelligencer nodded. Rose _power surged_ _Serendipity_ , then sent the homunculus on his way. Within a round, Intelligencer gave his report. 

<There is extensive damage. The ceiling collapsed in several areas. House-elves are clearing it the best they can.>

<What about Atrien?>

There was a pause. 

<The other elves report that she’s dead.>

Rose closed her eyes, then took a quick breath. 

_Focus, Rose,_ she ordered herself. _Just like Mum and Dad. You can do this!_

<Alright, I’ll tend to that when I can,> Rose replied. <All nodes: the House-Elf dorms have sustained damage. They’re clearing it away, but they’ve had casualties. Atrien, the Head Elf, is dead. We’re right between two shifts, so most of them were inside. Dripty is the only active house-elf. Eom.>

Rose waited for this to sink in. 

<Professor Dumbledore says we can mourn her after this is sorted,> Neville said. 

<Agreed,> Rose replied. 

<Gryffindor Tower and Ravenclaw Tower is being sealed off,> Dripty sobbed. <Lots of bits of floor are missing on the Seventh Floor. Dripty would like to be helping the other elves, Miss Rose.>

<Dripty, I promise that everything will be okay,> Rose said softly. <Right now, I need your help. Check the Hufflepuff Den, then report back to me.>

<Dripty will.>

“Did someone get the number of that bus?” Hermione asked wearily as she climbed to her feet. 

“What’s a bus?” Ron groaned as he stood up. 

“Never mind,” Hermione replied. “What happened?” 

Rose turned around and dropped the _condition conch_ in Hermione’s open hand. 

“I’m telling your parents next time you stop carrying that,” Rose said. 

<Hufflepuffs is being sealed in,> Dripty informed her. 

<Ack. Take a break, Dripty.>

<Dripty will not be taking a break. Miss Atrien would never be taking a break, so Dripty will not be breaking.>

<Then hold your position and await further instructions.>

<Yes, Miss Rose.>

_Glad he doesn’t realize there’s no difference,_ Rose thought. 

“Here’s what’s happening,” Rose said. “At least three of the common rooms are sealed off, and the house-elf dorms are in ruins. Atrien is the only reported casualty so far.” 

“Atrien’s dead?” Hermione asked. 

“That’s what I just said,” Rose said. 

<Int, I’m sending you to the Dungeons. I want a report from Professor Snape.>

<Ack.>

Rose activated _Serendipity_ , then contacted Fred and George. 

<Fred, George, move your group to Professor Hagrid’s Hut. I need his status as well.>

<On our way.>

<Several sections of the Dungeons have collapsed, and water is pouring in,> Intelligencer informed her. <Professor Snape is unable to reach the common room.>

<Ack. All nodes: All four common rooms have been sealed off by damage. Extensive damage has been done to the seventh floor, and the Dungeons are flooding. Eom.>

“What?!” Hermione screeched. 

<Professor Dumbledore wants people helping all four common rooms,> Neville informed her. <He says students take top priority.>

“What’s going on?” Professor Lupin asked. 

“All four common rooms are sealed off,” Hermione said. “The Dungeons are _flooding_.” 

“That means we won’t be able to get those kids out if we wait too long,” Professor Lupin said. 

<Dripty, go help the other elves. If they can spare anyone at all, I need more eyes.>

<Dripty will, but Dripty is getting tired,> Dripty replied. 

<When you can, check on each of the professors,> Rose ordered. <Don’t worry about Professors Snape, Dumbledore, Lupin, or Hagrid. I’ve got each of them covered. If they can spare just one or two elves, send them to me in the entrance hall first.>

<Professor Dumbledore says the portraits can check on the professors,> Neville informed her. 

<Ack. Scratch last order, Dripty,> Rose said. <Just check on the house-elves. All nodes: open path if possible. That means focus on a wide group. It doesn’t have to be a particular group, just mindset. Dripty and Brain, that does _not_ apply to you, otherwise you’ll send the message to my family. Current nodes are Dripty, Hermione or Brain, Luna or Moon, Tutela, Neville or Toad, Fred and George Weasley, Intelligencer or Int, Obtenebar or Ob, Inar, and myself. All acknowledge. >

There was silence, and Rose rolled her eyes. 

<That means say ‘Ack’.>

There was a hesitant chorus of “Ack” in her head. 

<Perfect.>

<Hagrid says something’s got the animals spooked,> George told her. <His dog’s going nuts.>

<Someone put something in the forest,> Fred added. <Barrels with some sort of potion in them. The smell of it’s riling up the animals.>

<That makes six crises,> Rose said. <The house-elves are handling the one in their common room.>

<Professor Dumbledore says establish a safe zone and move students there,> Neville said. 

<Agreed,> Rose replied. 

<The entire castle’s damaged and could be unstable,> Hermione said, both over the network and out loud. 

“What about Hogsmeade?” Ron asked. 

“What if the passages are sealed off?” Hermione asked. 

“The teachers can clear the damage,” Professor Lupin said. 

“Agreed,” Rose replied, then informed the other groups. 

<How do we get them there?>

Rose relayed Neville’s question to Sirius and Professor Lupin. 

“There are seven secret passages that lead from Hogwarts straight to Hogsmeade,” Sirius said. “Third floor, first floor, you name it.” 

<There are a few passages from Hogwarts to Hogsmeade,> George said. 

<We can use those to move students,> Rose said, intentionally not mentioning Sirius. 

<Rose, Professor Dumbledore wants to know how many students you can move at a time,> Neville said. 

<Twenty every six seconds,> Rose replied. <I can evac everyone right now.>

<Hold,> Tutela said. After a few seconds, she continued. <Professor Dumbledore wants to verify that students are ready for evac before moving them.>

<Alright, then we should have groups moving students at all points.>

“Rose, you’re talking like you’ve done this before,” Hermione said. 

“Not the time, Brain,” Rose said. 

<Reports from the staff, Milady,> Tutela said. <All check out. Professor McGonagall is working to get inside Gryffindor Tower. She won’t banish the wreckage for fear of structural damage. Taltria and Alavel are assisting.>

<Who is that?> Fred asked. 

<Taltria and Alavel are my Nimblewrights, and the one talking is Tutela,> Rose replied. <Continue.>

<Professor Flitwick is in a similar situation. Professor Sprout was inside Hufflepuff Den when the quake hit. She contained the damage, but she can’t get the students out safely without help. She doesn’t want to risk the corridors collapsing on them as they try to escape. Professors Trelawney and Sinistra are both trapped in their respective towers. Professors Babbling, Vector, and Burbage are injured, but not badly.>

<Ack.>

Rose took a moment to think, then realized that she didn’t need to keep her thoughts to herself. 

<We’ve got to get the students out of the four common rooms. The Dungeons need to be cleared before they can escape, so Princess, Moon, and Tutela should handle that.>

<Sally-Anne wants to know ‘Why her?’> Fred told her. 

<Because that dress of hers allows her to breathe underwater,> Rose replied. 

<She says ‘What?!’> Fred said. 

<Focus, boys!> Rose snapped. <I want another staff member with the outside group.> She turned to Professor Lupin. “Moony, I’m sending you outside.” 

“Why?” 

“Because Professor Hagrid’s not good with magic and someone needs to banish that potion,” Rose replied. 

“What potion?” 

“Brain, explain it to him.” 

<Alexandra says–>

<Shorter names, Fred,> Rose said. 

<Alex says someone should go to Hogsmeade to get everything ready for the kids.>

<Tell her ‘Thanks for volunteering’,> Rose replied. <No one go anywhere until we’ve figured out a plan. I want a node at all points. Dripty, status.>

<No other house-elves is badly injured, and we is clearing the damage. We is wanting to leave as soon as we can, Miss Rose.>

<Start moving to Hogsmeade. Tutela, what about Madame Pomfrey and Madame Hooch?>

<Hospital Wing is sealed off, and Madame Hooch is alright.>

<Ack. Are any students inside the Hospital Wing?>

<No.>

<Ack.>

Rose turned to her current group. 

“I’m going to coordinate with Professor Dumbledore,” Rose said, then expended another charge from _Serendipity_ to transport herself to Professor Dumbledore’s group. 

“Rose!” Neville exclaimed. 

“Summary: Sirius Black was framed by Peter Pettigrew, and Professor Lupin won’t transform for another 11 hours.” 

“And our current predicament?” Professor Dumbledore asked. 

“Don’t know, but Pettigrew escaped as a rat during the quake. I can find him no matter where he hides, so it doesn’t matter right now. Keeping the students safe is all that matters.” 

“Then we need to get the students to Hogsmeade,” Professor Dumbledore said. “Also, ten points to Gryffindor for establishing lines of communication so quickly.” 

“Thank you, Professor, but now’s not the time. Princess, Moon, and Tutela can assist Professor Snape. I want Professor Lupin outside with Scarface and his group, and Intelligencer so I can maintain comms. Sounds like they’re about to have a stampede on their hands. Padfoot can go with Brain and Cohort to secure Gryffindor Tower.” 

“He will be recognized as Sirius Black,” Professor Dumbledore said. 

“You knew he was–” Rose shouted, but caught herself. “Later. That’s why I’m sending Brain and Cohort with him. They’re the only ones that know the whole story, so they’ll handle it. My Nimblewrights can back them up, and I can maintain comms through Brain. McGonagall is most likely to listen to them of all of my team.” 

“What about me?” Neville asked. “Where am I going?” 

“Hufflepuff Den, along with the Twins. They’ve got a map of the castle, and can track where everyone is, and you can clear through the wreckage with brute force. Speaking of which…” 

<Fred, George, are there any students out of their rooms?>

<Erm…>

<Attention all nodes: Fred and George Weasley have a secret map that allows them to see where everyone is within the castle at all times!>

<What?!> Hermione shrieked. 

<That was completely unnecessary,> George said. 

<It was _entirely_ necessary, > Rose replied. <This isn’t the time to mess around. Students out of their rooms, yes or no?>

<Other than our groups, not that we can see,> Fred said. 

<Ack.>

“To repeat: Toad, I need you clearing away wreckage with the Twins. I’m sending Int and Lupin out to maintain contact with that group. Alex can handle the groups as they arrive at Hogsmeade. Any questions?” 

“What about Ravenclaw Tower?” Luna asked. 

“Professor Dumbledore and I will head there,” Rose replied. “I’ll move students out as fast as I can, and you make sure the tower doesn’t fall on us.” 

“I need to be in my office in order to begin emergency repairs,” Professor Dumbledore said. “The castle will rebuild itself, but–” 

“No time for specifics,” Rose said. “No time for praise, or flirting, or jokes, or staring in awe of me. Like we’ve said, students are the priority. We’ve already had one casualty, and I’m _not_ losing anyone else.” 

As Rose spoke this, she also said it over the network. 

“We need someone powerful to hold the tower up. That’s you, Professor. I will get you back here as soon as possible.” 

“That will be sufficient, Rose,” Professor Dumbledore said. “Scatter the other professors as well. I want them all utilized to the best of their abilities. Keep communication open.” 

<Battle plan: Scarface, Firecracker, Lupin, Int, Hagrid: Animals. Fred, George, Toad, Sprout: Hufflepuff Den. Alex, Dripty: Hogsmeade. Brain, Cohort, Padfoot, McGonagall: Gryffindor Tower. Moon, Princess, Tutela, Snape: Dungeons. Rose, Dumbledore, Flitwick: Ravenclaw Tower. All acknowledge.>

Rose waited for everyone to acknowledge her commands before continuing. 

<That leaves Professors Babbling, Burbage, Trelawney, Sinistra, and Vector. I’m already sending Madame Pomfrey to Hogsmeade to help the wounded. Where am I sending everyone else?>

<Send Professor Vector with Ron and I,> Hermione said. <She’ll trust me if I tell her Sirius is innocent.>

<Professor Babbling can go with me and Princess,> Luna said. 

<Send Professor Burbage with me,> Toad said. <I don’t know how much help Professors Trelawney or–>

<Ack,> Rose said. <Dripty, I’m sending Professors Trelawney and Sinistra with you and Alex. All Acknowledge.>

After she got confirmation from her group, Rose began to execute her plan. She pulled out her _thought bottle_ and activated it. Then, she _power surged_ _Serendipity_ 20 times for good measure, and restored her XP when she was done. With 80 usable charges on _Serendipity_ , Rose got to work. 

“ _I wish Lupin and Intelligencer were with Alex._ ” 

“ _I wish Alex and Professors Trelawney and Sinistra, along with Madame Pomfrey and Mr. Filch, were in Hogsmeade._ ” 

“ _I wish Moon, Princess, Tutela, and Professor Babbling were with Professor Snape._ ” 

“ _I wish Toad, Fred, George, and Professor Burbage were in Hufflepuff Den._ ” 

“ _I wish Professor Vector, Brain and Cohort were outside Gryffindor Tower._ ” 

“ _I wish Professors Dumbledore and Flitwick and I were in Ravenclaw Tower._ ” 

Rose and Professor Dumbledore found themselves inside Ravenclaw Tower, along with Professor Flitwick. 

“Professor Dumbledore!” Penelope Clearwater exclaimed. “Professor Flitwick! What’s going on?” 

“The castle is crippled,” Professor Dumbledore said. “We’re evacuating students to Hogsmeade. Filius, start a headcount. After every year is accounted for, Rose will send them to Hogsmeade.” 

Professor Flitwick nodded, then summoned his prefects. 

“Each of you, count the students,” Professor Flitwick ordered. “Triple check them; we don’t want anyone left behind or forgotten. Work through them year by year, starting with the first-years. When you’re finished, send them over to Ms. Peta-Lorrum.” 

“Yes, Professor Flitwick!” 

While Professor Flitwick and the prefects counted the students, Professor Dumbledore began holding up the tower. He pushed his hands towards the ceiling, holding his wand in one hand. The ceiling stopped crumbling, but the Headmaster was forced to remain in one place. 

“First-years!” Penelope shouted. “Everyone together! Don’t worry about your belongings! Take only what you need to survive!” 

“Class work doesn’t count!” Professor Flitwick shouted. “These are extenuating circumstances! Extensions will be provided! All work can be recovered!” 

Rose watched the students run about the common room, grabbing belongings as quickly as they could. Some students grabbed books, others stuffed animals. Many only carried pets with them. 

“I can’t find him!” one of the students wailed. “I can’t find Cantaloupe!” 

“Who’s Cantaloupe?” Penelope asked. 

“My cat!” the girl cried. “She’s orange, like cantaloupe!” 

“Gamp,” Penelope said. Once she had Rebecca’s attention, she nodded towards the girl. 

“Where’d you last see him?” Rebecca asked the little girl. 

Rose didn’t pick up anything on her _blindsight_ , so she checked with her next best resource. She stooped down and touched her fingers to the floor. 

“ _Sal, where’s this kid’s cat?_ ” 

“ _Seventh-year Ravenclaw girls’ room,_ ” came the reply. 

“ _Thanks._ ” 

Rose turned to see the girl running off with Rebecca. 

“Seventh-year girls’ room!” Rose called after them. 

“What was that, Peta-Lorrum?” the prefect snapped. 

“Cantaloupe’s in the seventh-year girls’ room.” 

“How do you–” 

“Never mind how,” Penelope snapped. “Just check!” 

Rebecca ran out of sight as the first-years were counted. The little girl stood still and cried. 

“It’s alright,” Rose said softly. “We’ll find her. You know who that is that just ran after her?” 

“Rebecca Gamp.” 

“That’s right. You’ve got _the_ Rebecca Gamp on your side. She’s one of the top students in her year. She’ll think of something, and we’ll find her.” 

“What if I have to go before you do?” the girl sobbed. 

“Then I’ll personally bring her to you,” Rose said. “What’s your name?” 

“Melody,” the girl replied. 

“Melody, I’m called Rose. I’m gonna get you and Cantaloupe to Hogsmeade safely, okay?” 

Melody nodded, wiping tears out of her eyes. 

“I found an orange cat,” Rebecca called. “Might need some help!” 

“Ob! Fetch!” Rose commanded. 

Obtenebar scampered off, startling half the students. 

“What the–” 

“What was that?!” Melody cried. 

“That’s Obtenebar,” Rose replied calmly. “She’s my friend. She helps me get things, like my friend’s rat, or Cantaloupe.” Rose smiled. “I like that name.” 

Melody didn’t reply, but her tears stopped when she saw Rebecca returning with an orange cat in her arms. 

“One cat, begrudgingly obtained,” Rebecca said. 

“Cantaloupe!” Melody exclaimed as Rebecca dumped the cat in her arms. “Thank you!” 

Obtenebar scampered over to Rose, and took her place as Rose’s fake shadow. 

“Peta-Lorrum, how’d you do that?” Rebecca whispered. 

“Not important right now,” Rose said. “Professor Dumbledore can’t hold up the tower forever. Focus on accounting for everyone.” 

“Are all first-years ready?” Professor Flitwick asked. 

After a confirming shout of “Yes, Professor Flitwick”, Rose pulled _Serendipity_. 

“ _I wish they were with Alex._ ” 

Melody held tightly to Cantaloupe as they appeared in a town. People and house-elves were rushing about, but one girl commanded everyone. 

“Ravenclaws, my name is Alex Nertlyn!” the girl called. “I’m one of the seventh-year Gryffindor Prefects. We’ve got a table for you at the Three Broomsticks. Professor Dumbledore has promised me that the castle will be repaired within an hour, and you can all go back to your rooms and sleep in your own beds tonight. Until then, you’re going to stay here in Hogsmeade. Any questions?” 

Everyone looked around, but no one raised their hand. 

“Good.” 

Alex led them all into the Three Broomsticks, and approached Madam Rosmerta, the bartender. 

“Like I said before,” she said. “Get these kids something to drink. Milk, hot cocoa, tea if you can get some from Madam Puddifoot. Everything’s on Hogwarts.” 

“Yes, Ma’am,” Madam Rosmerta replied. 

“Dripty!” Alex said, running out to catch the house-elf. 

“Yes, Miss Alex?” 

“Tell Rose that the Ravenclaws are set in the Three Broomsticks. Make sure the other Ravenclaws get there alright once Rose sends them if I’m not available. Madam Rosmerta will take care of them.” 

“Yes, Miss Alex!” Dripty replied. 

“Also, I’m sorry about Atrien,” Alex said. “I liked her.” 

“Dripty did too, Miss Alex,” Dripty said glumly. 

“Alexandra!” 

Alex whirled around and saw Madame Pomfrey rushing towards her. 

“Madame Pomfrey, excellent timing,” Alex said. “I’ve got the first-year Ravenclaws inside the Three Broomsticks. They’re only allowed to have milk or something, nothing too sugary. I’ve got Madam Rosmerta’s word.” 

“Good, good,” Madame Pomfrey said. “I’ll make sure they’re alright. What about the other houses?” 

“They is on their way, Madame Pomfrey,” Dripty said. “Miss Hermione and Mr. Ronald is bringing Gryffindors to Honeydukes. Mr. Neville is bringing the Hufflepuffs to Zonko’s, and Miss Luna is bringing the Slytherins to Gladrags.” 

“Alright,” Alex said. “Send the Gryffindors to Madam Puddifoot’s, the Hufflepuffs to Hog’s Head, then… Never mind, forget that. Send the first- through third-years to either the Three Broomsticks or Hog’s Head. Keep each house together. Send sixth- and seventh-years to me. Fourth- and fifth-years can pick where they want to go, but only Three Broomsticks, Hog’s Head, or Madam Puddifoot’s. I want someone to talk with the other store owners so they know too.” 

“Yes, Miss Alex!” 

Alex looked around for the other grownups, calling to them when she found them. Trelawney, Filch, and Sinistra ran over to her at her command. 

“News from Rose Peta-Lorrum,” she said. “The girl that’s organizing the evacuation. Mr. Filch, meet the Hufflepuffs at Zonko’s; Professor Trelawney, the Gryffindors at Honeydukes; Professor Sinistra, the Slytherins at Gladrags.” 

As Alex gave instructions, each of the staff members complied. They had already been informed by the house-elves that Alex was under direct orders from Professor Dumbledore. 

Another group of Ravenclaws appeared. Alex counted them, and found one missing. 

“Where’s the last one?” she asked. 

“That’s Loony,” one of them replied. 

“ _Luna_ ,” Alex corrected. “Like I told the first-years, there’s a table set aside for you in the Three Broomsticks. I’ve been assured that you’ll be able to sleep in your own beds tonight.” 

“Sure,” one of them muttered. 

“Professor Dumbledore himself told me this.” 

_Technically_ , Alex received her orders through Dripty, who received them from Rose, who was coordinating with Professor Dumbledore. 

Alex admitted the irony of receiving orders from a house-elf was amusing, but not so amusing that she was going to laugh about it. Not only was this not the time, but Dripty had to be the most valiant elf she’d ever met. The woman that was effectively his mother had just died, and he was holding back his tears to focus on the students. 

Nothing could earn Alex’s respect faster. 

“He’s in Ravenclaw Tower right now, risking his life to keep all of you safe. So is Luna, for that matter. She’s down in the Dungeons helping Slytherin escape before the Dungeons flood.” 

Looking out at the students, Alex could tell that none of them believed that, but they didn’t _need_ to believe it. 

“Come on,” Alex said, leading them to the Three Broomsticks. 

Every few minutes, another group of Ravenclaws arrived. Alex did the same thing for each of them, getting less respect as the groups progressed in age. Still, she channeled her inner Professor McGonagall and convinced them to listen to her. 

“Is that everyone?” Alex asked Penelope as she appeared. 

“Yeah,” Penelope replied after a quick headcount. “How’s Peta-Lorrum doing this?” 

“She just can,” Alex replied. “Don’t make a big deal out of it. Other students are arriving. I’ve got your sixth-years helping keep everyone in order. Ravenclaw first- through third-years are all in the Three Broomsticks. Prefects are with them.” 

“Peta-Lorrum said Lovegood’s in the Dungeons,” Penelope said as the final Ravenclaw prefect ran off to tend to his boys. 

“Getting the Slytherins out safely with Professors Babbling and Snape,” Alex explained. “Dripty informed me a few minutes ago that the first of them are coming through.” 

“Who?” Penelope asked. 

“One of the house-elves, and my line of communication with the rest of the groups,” Alex replied. “He’s the one with the Hogwarts crest sewn to his tea towel and a blue seashell hanging around his neck.” 

“What’s the plan?” Penelope asked. 

“Castle will be up and running within the hour,” Alex said. “Until I hear otherwise, we’re keeping the students here. I’ve talked with Mr. Dumbledore at the Hog’s Head, Madam Rosmerta at the Three Broomsticks, and Madam Puddifoot. They’ll handle the students until everything’s settled. They’ve been instructed to feed the students nothing, but give them something to drink if they ask for it. They’re only allowed milk, water, hot cocoa, juice, or tea.” 

“Do they have _any_ of that at the Hog’s Head?” 

“I made sure of it,” Alex said. “Everyone’s sharing tonight, and it’s all on Hogwarts. Mr. Dumbledore promised he’d clean the place up, and the house-elves helped. It’s _spotless_ in there. The other shops are closed, unless students are going through. Even if they are, they’re not to touch anything, and the staff are bringing them straight out to me.” 

“What do we do?” Penelope asked. 

“Help me direct students,” Alex said. “Check on them. Make sure everyone’s alright. Comfort any first-years that are crying, and try to keep down any rumors about what’s happening. We don’t know what caused this, but we’ll find out _after_ everyone’s alright.” 

Alex explained her student organizational system to Penelope and the other seventh-years. Penelope showed Alex respect, and the other students followed suit. 

“This isn’t the first long night we’ve had this year, but if we all pull together, it will be the last,” Alex said. 

As Alex directed the next group of students, she let her mind wander to the students helping evacuate the school. 

_I hope they’re alright._


	22. Awe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the castle is fixed, and something else is broken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** Before you marvel in awe at my greatness, remember J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter, so she helped too.

Ron, Hermione, Sirius, and Professor Vector appeared outside of Gryffindor Tower. At least, that’s where Rose said she was putting them. There was a mountain of rocks and rubble in front of them, blocking the entrance to the tower. Professor McGonagall stood in front of the rubble, assessing the damage along with Taltria and Alavel. She turned to them when they arrived. 

“What’s happening?” Professor Vector asked her. 

Professor McGonagall silently motioned to Hermione and Ron for their input. Hermione didn’t understand why McGonagall would defer to her and Ron. She froze up, terrified uncertain of what was being asked of her. 

“Quake damaged the castle,” Ron explained in her stead. “Everything’s sealed off, but we’ve got a way out. We’re getting everyone to Hogsmeade as fast as possible.” He looked past Professor McGonagall at the wreckage. “Can’t you banish it?” 

“If I try, Mr. Weasley, I risk the entire thing collapsing. I know neither what’s on the other side, nor what this is supporting. Banishing one part could disrupt another. We cleared out as much as possible, but any more and we risk the entire thing collapsing.” 

Hermione put her mind to the problem. She knew at least two spells that might solve the problem, but her fear of speaking out of turn stopped her from making any suggestions. 

“What about the Earth Eyes Charm?” Ron asked, picking Hermione’s second idea. 

“I hadn’t thought of that,” Professor McGonagall said. She waved her wand, then stooped down to touch her fingers to the ground. “The earthquake damaged the wall, but I’m not seeing anyone near it. The arch overhead seems stable enough for the moment. It should be safe to banish. Five points to Gryffindor, Mr. Weasley. Well done. Everyone stand clear.” 

After the five of them got clear, Professor McGonagall waved her wand again, and the pile of rubble vanished. Professor McGonagall turned to face them again when she was finished. 

“Now, here’s– Children get back!” 

Professor McGonagall lept between Padfoot and the students. 

“It’s alright!” Hermione shouted as Professor Vector joined Professor McGonagall. Both women trained their wands on Sirius, who stood ready for a fight. 

“That’s Sirius Black!” Professor Vector said. 

“We know!” Ron shouted. “He’s with us!” 

“Explain yourselves this instant!” Professor McGonagall demanded. 

“He was framed by my rat!” Ron said. “Except he’s not a rat, he’s Peter Pettigrew in disguise!” 

Both professors glared at Ron, then at Sirius. 

“Hermione, is this true?” Professor Vector asked. 

“It is. I’m sure of it, and besides, Sirius knows the castle better than any of us. That’s how he always escaped before Rose could catch him. He knows every secret passageway in the castle. He can help us get the students to Hogsmeade.” 

Both professors glared at Sirius. Hermione looked at her two favorite professors and feared the worst. What if they _didn’t_ believe her? She had just assumed they would, but right now, she doubted if they’d believe anything she said. What else could she say to convince them that Sirius wasn’t going to hurt anyone? 

“If he tries anything,” a baritone voice said, “we’ll kill him on the spot.” 

Hermione and Ron looked to see the source of the voice. There was no one else there besides the Nimblewrights. 

“Who was that?” Professor Vector asked. 

“I am Alavel, Professor,” one of the Nimblewrights said. “My Lady Rose sent word ahead about him. He is still in a state of distrust, so if he tries anything suspicious, Taltria and I will kill him on sight.” 

“And if Our Lady Rose sent Sirius Black with Lady Brain and Lord Cohort,” Taltria said, her voice higher and a little rough, “then she must have a reason.” 

Hermione pressed her lips together to stop from smiling. She didn’t know which sounded better, “Lady Brain” or “Lord Cohort”. 

Professor McGonagall lowered her wand and turned around. 

“How long have you two been able to talk?” 

“Let’s see…” Taltria said, “it’s Sunday, so… always.” 

“They’ve got a point,” Professor Vector said, lowering her wand. “Peta-Lorrum would’ve had Sirius Black imprisoned if she believed he was a threat to her friends, and we don’t have time to waste.” 

Professor McGonagall looked from Taltria to Alavel. 

“Like you said,” Professor McGonagall said as if she were the queen of the world, “if Sirius Black gets out of line, kill him.” 

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the Nimblewrights replied. 

Professor McGonagall strode past them and banished another barricade into the common room. The others followed the Transfiguration Professor into Gryffindor Tower. 

Inside the tower they found students frantically talking and running. Percy shouted at them to stay calm, but it was clear that no one was listening to him. It looked like most of Gryffindor was packed in the common room, which had already begun falling apart. 

“Attention!” Professor McGonagall shouted. 

Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to their Head of House. 

“This is how things are going to go!” Professor McGonagall shouted as Professor Vector began working to contain the damage. “We will evacuate the younger students first, who will be escorted by their prefects. In addition, I want another member of each prefect’s year to accompany them. In the event of an argument, _I_ will hold the final say. Start doing this _now_ while I continue the instructions.” 

Parvati raised her hand as a few of the upper year students began talking quietly. 

“Ms. Patil, you’d like to add something?” 

“Alex isn’t here, Ma’am,” she said shakily. 

“She’s in Hogsmeade,” Ron whispered to McGonagall. 

“Ms. Patil, Ms. Brown, Mr. Finnigan, and Mr. Thomas, as the only remaining third-years, you will go with Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger, who will be leading the way to safety. They have a black dog with them. This is _not_ a problem. I will remain here with Professor Vector to contain the damage. All students are to listen to instructions from Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger as if they were given directly by me. Is that understood?” 

There were some confused nods from the other students. 

“Finally, the following students have already been accounted for,” Professor McGonagall said. “Fred, George, and Ginny Weasley, Sally-Anne Perks, Rose Peta-Lorrum, Harry Potter, Neville Longbottom.” 

With that, Professor McGonagall began helping Professor Vector on damage control. Hermione glanced behind her and saw Ron, Taltria, and Alavel ready to go. In front of her stood over 50 students awaiting further instruction. 

“Erm…” she stammered. 

“Third-years, with us!” Ron shouted. “Once we’ve got a path cleared, we’ll come for everyone else. Rose’s knights are with us, so no one needs to worry. Stay close, and don’t wander off! Let’s move out!” 

Without waiting for his charges, Ron made his way out of the common room. 

Hermione took a moment to process what she’d just witnessed, then followed him. 

* * *

Luna, Sally-Anne, Professor Babbling, and Tutela appeared in the Dungeons. Sally-Anne saw Professor Snape not far from them, and a large wall of rock in front him. There were small gaps in the stone where water was squirting out. 

“What’s the damage?” Professor Babbling asked. 

“The common room’s behind this, but I don’t know how much water is with it,” Professor Snape said. “Obviously enough that it’s leaking.” 

Sally-Anne looked down and saw that the floor was growing damp. 

“Simple enough,” Professor Babbling said. “Sally-Anne and I can create a shield to hold the water after you banish the rock. Luna, stay back so you don’t get swept away.” 

“Why are they even here?” Professor Snape asked. 

“We can help,” Sally-Anne said. 

“Fine, but don’t blame me if you die,” Professor Snape said. “Bathsheda, you were saying?” 

“I’ll hold the bottom half, Sally-Anne can take the top half. Sally-Anne, do you remember the incantation for the wall?” 

“Erm…” Sally-Anne wracked her brain. How had she forgotten it? Why did she have to forget it when she needed it more than ever? 

“ _Miru_ ,” Luna said. “I looked it up in Mum’s notes over the winter holiday.” 

Sally-Anne had never been happier to hear Luna talk. 

“Thanks Luna,” Sally-Anne said. “ _Miru_. I remember now.” 

Sally-Anne and Professor Babbling stood in front of the blockade and each raised their left hand. 

“ _Miru!_ ” 

Identical, translucent walls formed in front of the blockade, and water stopped spraying onto them. 

“Severus!” Professor Babbling shouted. 

With a quick wave of his wand, the rubble disappeared. With the floodgates literally open, water poured out onto them through every crack it could find, whether around, between, and under the shields. After nearly a minute, the water drained into the corridor. 

When the shields dropped, Sally-Anne took a moment to catch her breath. 

“Rest when you’re dead, Perks,” Professor Snape said. “We’ve got work to do.” 

Sally-Anne looked up and saw what looked like an empty section of the Dungeons. Water poured in from several cracks in the wall to her right, and another wall of rocks blocked the rest of the Dungeons not 20 feet from where she stood. 

“Is that the common room?” Professor Babbling asked, indicating the empty wall. 

“Yes,” Professor Snape replied. “We’ve got to stop the flooding, and be ready to block the water that has no doubt built up behind those rocks.” 

“I’ll hold the water back,” Professor Babbling said. “Sally-Anne, be ready to stop more water from flowing in. Luna… you can…” 

“Tutela and I will lead the students to Hogsmeade,” Luna said. “We can get directions from the Twins.” 

“Are you sure you’ll be alright?” Sally-Anne asked. 

Truth be told, she didn’t know much about Luna. It was interesting listening to some of her theories, and they’d even make some brilliant stories, but it was like listening to Rose. The moment she started stating anything as fact, Sally-Anne lost her. On top of that, it was as if Luna held entirely different conversations in her head, and asked questions about or responded to _those_ conversations. 

Still, Luna was her friend. More importantly, she had a sense of innocence that Sally-Anne admired. Sally-Anne saw Luna like the baby sister of their group, and felt she should protect her. 

“We’ll be fine,” Luna said simply. 

Professor Babbling nodded and threw a shield in front of the rushing water. Professor Snape opened the common room door, and Sally-Anne took her place beside him. 

“What’s going on?!” Draco demanded from the front of the room. He glared at Sally-Anne. “What’s _she_ doing here?!” 

“Anyone that doesn’t want to die will do exactly as I say,” Professor Snape said. “Follow Lovegood in an orderly fashion.” 

“What?!” several students cried. 

“Loony?!” a few others snapped. 

“Do not get it into your head that you know the Dungeons better than her,” Professor Snape said. “Both Lovegood and Perks are receiving their orders from either myself or Professor Dumbledore. In my absence, you will do as they say. Is that clear?” 

Most of the students nodded, although it was obvious that none of them trusted Luna to get them out alive. 

“When my father hears about this–” Draco began. 

“Your father can’t hear anything about it from you if you’re dead, Draco!” Sally-Anne shouted. “Everyone, consider this! Right now, the Ravenclaws are listening to Rose Peta-Lorrum’s orders! Even the Gryffindors know there’s a time for complaining, and a time for listening! Is the proud house of Slytherin really gonna let the other houses show them up?” 

Sally-Anne looked directly at Draco. “Instead of getting in her way, Draco, why don’t you prove how well you know the Dungeons? Show her the fastest way out of here. Unless you don’t know your own territory better than one of _us_.” 

Sally-Anne knew her strategy worked the second she saw Draco smirk. 

“Just watch me, Perks.” 

Sally-Anne moved aside to allow the Slytherins to leave. If some of them realized she’d played them, they weren’t saying anything. Sally-Anne turned her attention to the wall blocking a torrent. 

_I hope that holds,_ she thought. 

* * *

In Hufflepuff Den, Neville had the easiest time of everyone. When he arrived with Fred, George, and Professor Burbage they found that most of the students were ready to go. They all sat together, many of the students holding onto a toy, book, or another student. Professor Sprout stood at the front of the group, and all eyes turned to the outsiders as they appeared. 

“Dripty gave me the basics,” Professor Sprout said. “The castle’s in shambles. What’s Albus’s plan for evacuation?” 

“Rose and Professor Dumbledore said move everyone to Hogsmeade,” Neville said. “Fred and George have this… rather, they know secret passages to Hogsmeade.” 

“Very well,” Professor Sprout said, nodding. “Charity, good to see you.” 

“Always a pleasure, Pomona.” 

After they’d finished exchanging pleasantries, because a crisis was no time for bad manners, Professor Sprout turned and addressed the crowd. 

“Alright, everyone, let’s start moving. Just as I said, prefects stay with your students. These boys up here are Neville, Fred, and George. Follow their instructions, and they’ll lead you to safety. First, we’re going to clear the way, so everyone stand back.” 

Professor Sprout nodded, and a few students Neville didn’t recognize took places around the room. Looking up, he noticed that there were some cracks in the ceiling, and each student had been placed near one. 

“Is there anything I can do?” Neville asked. 

“Just stay back for now, and be ready to go,” Professor Sprout said. “Neville, I’m counting on you to lead everyone. Can you do that?” 

“Yes, professor,” Neville said. 

Professor Sprout was his favorite teacher. He couldn’t get the hang of anything magic intensive, so most of his professors got angry at him. Professor Sprout was different, and he wished that she could teach every subject. She was patient with him, and he understood Herbology better than the other subjects. It wasn’t that he was a bad student, but he wasn’t good at anything else. Every other professor treated him like he was just a bad student, but Professor Sprout treated him like he was worth something. 

Professor Sprout banished the rock blocking the exit, and the rock above them shifted. After a moment, each student around the room gave the all-clear. 

“Alright, everyone, follow the Gryffindors!” Professor Sprout shouted. “Younger students in the middle of the group!” 

Neville and the Twins led the students out of the common room. Professor Burbage kept watch over the middle of the group, and Professor Sprout brought up the rear. The Twins led them along a series of corridors, straight into a dead end caused by a collapsed roof. 

“Alright, let’s turn back,” Fred said. “I think there’s another passage not far from here.” 

“Move,” Neville said, drawing the Sword of Gryffindor. 

“What are–” 

“Move,” Neville repeated. 

Neville took a deep breath. During his training, Rose had taken to testing the durability of the Sword of Gryffindor. As it turned out, the thing was nearly indestructible. After heating it up, the sword could slice clean through steel. Even if it wasn’t hot, the Sword of Gryffindor could still break through stone. 

Neville looked at the stone wall in front of him, hoping to spot the weakest point. He found what he was searching for near the base of the cave-in. 

Neville swung his sword and took a chunk out of the rock. The entire thing began to shake, and the students behind him ran back. Neville took a few steps back as everything collapsed. 

“Everyone, be careful climbing over it,” Neville shouted as his sword vanished. 

Neville looked ahead of them and saw another cave-in not far down the corridor. For a moment, he wanted to give up. He could just let someone else handle it. 

_Don’t give up, Toad,_ he heard Rose say. _I’m counting on you._

Neville ran ahead and got to work clearing out more of the wreckage. 

* * *

Harry saw Fred, George, Alex, and Sally-Anne vanish. They were quickly replaced by Professor Lupin and Rose’s ferret, Intelligencer. 

“What’s the plan?” Ginny asked. 

“Find out what’s got the animals scared and fix it,” Professor Lupin said. 

“Remus, I don’ mean… er, don’ ya need…” Hagrid muttered. 

“It’s fine, Hagrid, but thanks for asking,” Professor Lupin said. “Ms. Peta-Lorrum took care of it.” 

“What do yer mean ‘took care of it’?” Hagrid asked. 

“I guess there’s no need to dance around it.” Professor Lupin turned to Harry and Ginny. “Children, I’m a werewolf, but thanks to your friend Rose, I won’t change tonight.” 

“Is that why you’re always absent?” Harry asked. 

“Yes, but like Rose keeps saying, we’ve all got to stay focused. Let’s worry about the animals right now. Rose said there was some sort of potion disturbing them.” 

“I’ll show ya,” Hagrid said. 

He led the way from his hut to the Forbidden Forest. Harry smelled it before he even saw it. It was foul, like the sour milk the Dursleys used to make him drink. When the source of the stench came into view, Harry saw a collection of barrels dumped on their side, the glowing, green-yellow potion of each one covering the ground. 

“What is that?” Ginny asked, plugging her nose to dull the foul stench. 

“Trancharee Potion, I reckon,” Hagrid said. “Foul stuff. Supposed ter be illegal fer the effects it ’as on animals, ’specially human ones like Centaurs.” 

“Safe to banish?” 

“Should be.” 

With a quick wave of his wand, he banished the barrels and potion. Harry uncovered his nose, but the smell was still there. 

“Is there anything we can do about that smell?” he asked. 

“’Fraid not,” Hagrid said. “Suppose we could mask it, but that won’t stop the animals from going mad.” 

Harry listened, and sure enough, he could hear a sound coming from deeper in the forest. 

“I can still hear them,” Harry said. 

“I can’t hear–” Ginny said, but Harry clapped his hand over her mouth and pressed his finger to his lips. 

Ginny began to fume and complain from under his hand, but Harry concentrated on the sound in the distance. It was like thunder rolling through the forest. 

“They’re getting closer,” Harry said. “I can’t tell what it is, but I can definitely hear it.” 

“What’s it sound like?” Professor Lupin asked. 

“Thunder, but it’s faint. I think it’s getting louder.” 

He took his hand off Ginny’s mouth. 

“Next time you do that, I’ll–” Ginny started. 

“Not now,” Professor Lupin said. “Hagrid, what’s out there?” 

“I dunno,” Hagrid replied. “You’ve got acromantulas in the forest, centaurs, unicorns… lots of wildlife.” 

“Do you think we can get the centaurs to help?” Professor Lupin asked. 

“They’ll be jus as spooked as everythin’ else,” Hagrid said. “Maybe not as bad, but nearly.” 

Ginny tilted her head in a way that reminded Harry of Rose. 

“Before you say anything, we’re not setting them on fire,” Harry said. 

“What if–” 

“Forest fires are bad, Ginny,” Harry said. 

“I know!” Ginny snapped. “That’s not what I was thinking. Well… okay, it _was_ what I was thinking, but then I got another idea. See, I thought if we couldn’t _actually_ set a fire, what if we did the next best thing?” 

The professors and Harry looked at her expectantly. 

“Which is…?” Professor Lupin prompted. 

“Make them _think_ there’s a forest fire,” Ginny said triumphantly. 

She grinned at them, but the others all looked confused. Harry understood what she was suggesting just fine, but he couldn’t think how they could fake a forest fire without actually setting the forest on fire. 

“How do you propose we do that?” Professor Lupin asked. 

“Well… I’m not that far yet,” Ginny said, her grin fading. 

Harry thought about her suggestion. How could you fake a fire? The best he could think of was when Aunt Petunia would leave the stove on, or Dudley would turn the stove on and blame Harry for it. That didn’t work, since that was a real fire. What about lightning? That looked like a fire, sort of. Could Harry conjure lightning? A stunner looked like red lightning, but it wasn’t nearly bright enough. What about fire and lightning? Like… fireworks! That was it! 

“Wait!” Harry exclaimed. “I might have an idea. What if we make a bunch of flashes of light? Like fireworks!” 

It occurred to Harry that he might be the only one that knew what fireworks were. Did any of them know? 

“Brilliant!” Professor Lupin exclaimed. “Fireworks will create a bright flash and loud explosion. That should deter any wild animals long enough for them to calm down.” 

“Think you can do that, Ginny?” Harry asked. 

“Of course I can!” 

“Then let’s get to work,” Harry said. 

* * *

Ron and Hermione led the pack of third-years the way they’d gone hundreds of times to get to class. Unfortunately, this couldn’t be one of those times. 

“The staircases are out,” Parvati said. “How are we supposed to get down?” 

“We just need to get to the third floor,” Ron said. “Padfoot, is there another way down?” 

The dog barked and trotted off down the corridor. The third-years fell into step behind him. He led them straight down the corridor, dodging chunks of the ceiling as it fell apart, then sat down when they were halfway to the end. 

“Now what?” Lavender asked. 

<Fred, we’re on the seventh-floor. Is there a hidden passageway that leads down? Halfway down a corridor?>

<Yeah, just whistle to open it. Like you’re calling a dog or your little brother.>

“Can anyone whistle?” Hermione asked. 

“Sure,” Seamus said. “Why?” 

“Do it,” Hermione said. “Like you’re calling a dog or getting someone’s attention.” 

“Okay,” Seamus said hesitantly. He gave a quick whistle, and sure enough, a section of the wall slid open. It was a confined space, but plenty of room for them to descend the stairwell before them. 

“Brilliant!” Ron said. 

Sirius took off down the new corridor, with the others right behind him. 

“How’d you know that was there?” Ron asked. 

“Your brothers told me,” Hermione said. “They’re still on Rose’s telepathic network.” 

“She should’ve done that to all of us,” Ron said. “That might’ve–” 

“Ah!” Lavender screamed as some rocks fell from the ceiling. 

“ _Depulso!_ ” Ron shouted, wand already in hand. 

The rocks flew up the corridor, crashing harmlessly into the stairs. 

“Thanks,” Lavender said. “You just saved my life.” 

“Doubtful,” Hermione said. “You would’ve had some broken bones, but nothing life-threatening.” 

Lavender glared at Hermione, who took none of it. Hermione didn’t have time for Lavender to be dramatic. There were _actual_ lives at stake, and Hermione had second-guessed herself enough for one day. 

“If you don’t keep moving, it will _become_ life-threatening,” Ron said. “Come on! There are 60 more students that need us to find a way out of here fast!” 

They ran to the end of the secret corridor, and emerged to find themselves on the fourth floor. 

“How do we get down to the third floor from here?” Dean asked. 

“Only the moving staircases are out,” Hermione said. “We find one that’s _not_ moving and take it,” 

Padfoot ran down the corridor, and turned a corner out of sight. 

Hermione and Ron ran to catch up to him, and found that he had disappeared down another staircase. It wasn’t long before Padfoot led them straight to a statue of a humpbacked witch. 

<Fred, Sirius led us to a witch statue on the third floor.>

<Tap it with your wand and say “ _Dissendium_ ”. It leads to Honeydukes cellar.>

Hermione did as she was instructed, and the statue moved aside, revealing another secret passageway. 

“Follow that tunnel,” Hermione instructed the others. “It leads straight to Honeydukes. Alex or one of the house-elves will meet you there.” 

“What about you two?” Parvati asked. 

“We’ll be fine,” Ron said. 

“Go,” Hermione said. 

The pair watched the four students pass through the tunnel, then ran back to Gryffindor Tower. 

<Dripty, there are going to be students heading through a passageway to Honeydukes cellar. Make sure there’s someone there to meet them.>

<Dripty will, Miss Hermione.>

* * *

“How many more students are there?” Sally-Anne asked. 

“We’ve got half of them out,” Professor Snape replied. “Plenty more to go.” 

“That’s going to be a problem,” Sally-Anne said, looking at the pile of rocks. More leaks appeared in the cracks. “This isn’t going to hold much longer.” 

The rock shifted in place, and Sally-Anne jumped. 

“ _Miru!_ ” 

A wall sprung into existence as the rocks gave out. 

“Move!” Professor Babbling shouted at Professor Snape. 

“Everyone, forget about collecting anything!” Professor Snape shouted. “It’ll be here when you get back! Run!” 

Students took what they had and started off down the corridor. 

“I don’t see why we didn’t do that in the first place,” Professor Babbling said, still working to contain the leaks in the opposite wall. 

“Fine,” Professor Snape said. “Next time, _you_ can negotiate with nearly 100 frightened teenagers, and _I’ll_ stand in front of a wall.” He turned to the students. “Anyone caught walking will be deducted 100 house points and held back a year! _Run!_ ” 

It struck Sally-Anne as odd that it wasn’t the impending flood that frightened them, it was the possibility of losing house points. 

_Everyone’s got their priorities, I suppose,_ she thought. 

“I hope Lovegood knows where she’s going,” Professor Snape muttered. 

“Me too,” Sally-Anne whispered. 

Farther down the corridor, Luna and Tutela ran with the Slytherins. Unlike the other groups, Luna wasn’t leading the way. It was far more productive to allow the Slytherins themselves to show her the way out. Once outside, she already knew where she was going. 

Luna had asked them to get her to the east wing; after that, Fred and George had informed her of a statue of Gregory the Smarmy, which hid a passageway to Hogsmeade. 

“What?!” Butterhead exclaimed as they ran into a cave-in. 

Luna had an idea to remove the rubble, but before she could do anything, the other students fired rounds of spells at the blockade. Luna had just enough time to get back as they lit up the corridor with magic. 

When the dust settled, the wreckage was gone, along with a few chunks of the corridor. 

They hadn’t got much farther down the corridor before Luna noticed the ceiling above them was cracking. She whirled around to face Butterhead. 

“Do you know where the statue of Gregory the Smarmy is?” she asked. 

“The what?” he asked. 

“It’s in the East Wing,” Luna said, grabbing her chalk. “Find it, then tap your wand against its nose three times. The secret passageway behind it will lead to Gladrags Wizardwear.” She turned to Tutela. “Tutela, go with them so Rose knows they’ve made it out alright.” 

Luna began drawing small circles on the wall beside them. As students began to run past her, she placed her chalk back behind her ear and climbed up the footholds she’d created. When she reached the top, she drew handles on the ceiling. She used the handles to balance herself, then drew rock over the cracks in the ceiling. 

Luna looked down the corridor and saw more cracks forming. 

“That’s going to take too long,” she muttered. She climbed down, then drew a picture on her hand. To anyone else, it closely resembled a spiderweb, but Luna knew better. It was a series of characters from the runic alphabet, just like in her mum’s rune puzzles. 

She drew an identical picture on her other hand, then on her shoes, then tucked the chalk back behind her ear. Luna began climbing up the wall, her hands sticking as they came into contact with it. Held aloft by the runes, Luna drew more stone to replace the cracked ceiling before it could cave in. 

<Little Moon, we’ve arrived at the East Wing, and the Slytherins are finding their way to the statue. I’m coming back for you.>

<I’ve got this section secured. I’m going to move closer. The last of the Slytherins went by a minute ago. I think they’re safe.>

Luna landed on the ground with a splash. She looked around, then down. Water was flowing from deeper in the Dungeons. 

“Princess.” 

Luna broke into a run. 

<Tutela, I’m heading back for Princess. The barrier broke.>

* * *

“Where are we going?” Neville asked. 

“The Library,” George replied. “There’s a passageway we’ve never been able to use.” 

“Filch has it under close watch, you see,” Fred said. “It leads straight to Zonko’s Joke Shop.” 

The entirety of Hufflepuff house ran into the Library, following close behind Fred and George. 

“What is going on?!” hissed Madame Pince. Being the sensible woman that she was, she had secured an area around her desk and was hiding under it. 

“The quake damaged the castle,” Neville said. “There’s a secret passageway in here that leads to Hogsmeade. We’re getting the students out.” 

“Quickly!” she said. “Just don’t touch any of the books other than _Boring Bureaucracy._ ” 

Madame Pince walked quickly and pulled the book from the shelf. The wall slid open to reveal a large corridor. 

“That’s brilliant,” Neville said. “I never would’ve thought this was here.” 

“No one would think to touch that book,” George said. 

“Rose might,” Neville said. “She’d probably say ‘A book with a title like that _must_ have something interesting in it!’” 

“Come on!” Madame Pince hissed. “And stop talking so loud. This is a library!” 

While Madame Pince and the Twins led the students down the corridor, Neville stayed behind to make sure everyone was there. 

“Looks like that’s everyone,” Professor Sprout said as the last of the students went through. “Go on.” 

“You first,” Neville said. “I–” 

“ _I’m_ the teacher, Neville,” Professor Sprout said. “You’re the student. Also, we’re going to have a word about that sword of yours.” 

“I… I’m sorry, Ma’am,” Neville said as they started down the corridor. 

“Neville, you’ve exhibited bravery the likes of which I’ve never seen in a normal third-year. The best test of a person is how they react when things go wrong, and things have indeed gone wrong. You’ve done marvelously.” 

“What about Rose?” 

“I said _normal_ third-year. Rose doesn’t–” 

Large chunks of rock came loose from the ceiling and fell on them, cutting of the professor. Neville had just enough time to shove Sprout out of the way before the rocks collided with him. His world went black as he was buried alive. 

* * *

Harry saw animals of all sorts running towards them. Like Hagrid had said, the Forbidden Forest had tons of creatures in it, and it looked like they were all heading his way. 

“You sure you can handle this?” Professor Lupin asked. 

“I can do this!” Ginny said, her wand at the ready. “Me and Rose drilled this hundreds of times.” 

“Really?” Professor Lupin asked. “She prepared you for this _exact_ situation?” 

“Maybe not _exactly_ like this, but almost,” Ginny said. “I can cast the spell.” 

“Harry, what about you?” Professor Lupin called. 

Harry was off to the side, not far from Hagrid. Harry was safe and sound underneath his invisibility cloak. At least, that’s how he felt compared to Ginny. In order for the explosion to be effective, Professor Lupin and Ginny had to be right in front of the stampede, and one explosion might not be enough to startle them out of the trance into which the potion had put them. 

“I’m fine,” he replied. 

It took a bit of work, but Harry had convinced Professor Lupin that he could stun animals with precise aim. Anything that wasn’t startled by their explosions would need to be dealt with as painlessly and quickly as possible. 

“Just say when,” Professor Lupin said. 

“Almost,” Harry said. They had marked a line of trees where Hagrid said the spell would be most effective. Once Harry saw the animals hit that line, Professor Lupin and Ginny would fire off explosions from their wands. 

“Almost,” Harry repeated, his wand at the ready. “Get ready.” 

The earth began to shake beneath his feet from the stampede, but he kept his eyes trained on the line of trees in the forest. 

“Now!” 

“ _Confringo!_ ” 

Harry shut his eyes and covered his ears as twin explosions lit up the night sky. Even muffled, the bang left a ringing in his ears. He rubbed the spots out of his eyes and focused on the animals. Most of them were turning back, frightened more by the explosions than riled up by the potion. 

Professor Lupin immediately smothered the flames that started as a result of the explosions while Harry scanned for any stragglers. 

His vision was still fuzzy, so he almost didn’t catch it. It was dark, and the dog’s fur nearly blended into the night sky. Harry had every degree of confidence in his ability to stun a human from 50 feet, but the beast charging straight at a rather dazed red-head was considerably bigger than a human. 

It had been about two years since Harry had last seen Fluffy, but he’d never seen another animal like him, so Harry had no doubt that the Philosopher’s Stone’s former guardian was about to crush his best friend’s little sister. 

Harry and Hagrid had thought to cover their eyes and ears from the explosion, but Ginny and Professor Lupin couldn’t. Professor Lupin was concerned with the flames, and his hearing was no doubt muffled by the explosion, so he didn’t see Fluffy charging until it was too late. 

“ _Stupefy!_ ” 

A red bolt lanced out of Harry’s wand and struck the Cerberus in the side. 

And did nothing. 

* * *

<Dripty is receiving the Hufflepuffs and Slytherins,> Dripty informed Hermione. 

<Brilliant,> she replied. 

“What is it?” Ron asked. 

“Hufflepuff and Slytherin are safe,” Hermione said. 

<Last of the Ravenclaws is just arriving,> Dripty added. 

“We’re the only ones left, and we’ve just got the seventh-years.” 

“Brilliant,” Ron said. “Once we get back to the tower, then–” 

Hermione jumped when she heard rock cracking, but didn’t discover it was under Ron until it was too late. The floor beneath him gave out and he fell through. 

“Ron!” 

Hermione dove and grabbed his hand before he vanished to the sixth floor. 

“I’ve got you!” Hermione shouted. “Hold on!” 

“Thanks!” Ron shouted. “Until you said that, I wasn’t sure what I should do!” 

“Lady Brain!” 

As the Nimblewrights approached her, she heard more rocks cracking under her. 

“Stay back!” she called to the Nimblewrights before they got any closer. “The rock beneath us is cracking! Any more weight and we’ll all go down! Stay back!” 

Hermione looked down at Ron. For the second time that day, she was going to watch helplessly as he got hurt. Her dominant hand was holding Ron, and she couldn’t risk switching hands without dropping him, which meant no magic. Looking past him, she saw the chunks of the seventh floor had taken out the sixth, leaving a two floor drop for Ron, and possibly Hermione, if Hermione couldn’t think of something. 

“Let go!” 

“Don’t you _dare_ try to pull that macho _dürah_ again, Ronald Weasley!” Hermione screamed. “I’m not letting go of your arm, even if it means falling with you!” 

* * *

Professor Babbling and Sally-Anne held the water back as Professor Snape ran with the rest of the students. Water sprayed on them from the cracks, and bursts of water from their right threatened to knock them both off their feet. 

“Now you, Sally-Anne,” Professor Babbling said. 

“I’m not leaving you, Professor,” Sally-Anne said. 

“Ms. Perks, I–” 

“Right now, Bathsheda, we’re equals,” Sally-Anne said. “There’s no professor and student, there’s just two women trying to survive. If we can’t both make it out, you’ll be missed more than I will. Besides, I can breathe underwater.” 

“Since when?” 

“Since Christmas when Rose gave me my dress!” 

“You trust her?” 

“With my life. Harry and Hermione are my best friends, and I trust her with their lives too. If Rose says my dress lets me breathe underwater, then it lets me breathe underwater.” 

“Then let’s walk backwards as long as we can. I’ll help you keep the barrier in place, but you’ve got to run the moment you drop it.” 

“Understood.” 

Professor Babbling and Sally-Anne began stepping back, holding the wall in place. Water poured into the corridor, and Sally-Anne nearly lost her balance. 

“Go!” she shouted. 

Professor Babbling glanced at Sally-Anne, then began running. Sally-Anne braced herself as the pressure increased. When she was certain that Professor Babbling was clear, she stopped the Shield Rune. 

A wall of water slammed into her like a bus, knocking her clean off her feet. The rush of water swept her away, throwing her into a wall. She slammed into the hard stone, and her vision went out of focus for a moment. 

“What’s–” she started, but couldn’t finish a sentence. Wave after wave swept over her, dragging her to the bottom of the corridor. She tried to struggle against it, but she couldn’t see clearly, nor force herself to move. Torches went out around her and everything went dark. 

* * *

After securing Ravenclaw Tower, Rose sent Professor Flitwick to Hogsmeade, then brought herself and Professor Dumbledore to his office. 

“I must ask that you wait outside,” Professor Dumbledore instructed. 

Rose nodded, then walked down the stairs and relayed her news to each of her friends. 

<Professor Dumbledore is back in his office. He told me he’s going to start repairs on the castle. Sounds like everyone’s just about made it to Hogsmeade. Everyone that’s not in Hogsmeade already, head that way. I’m going to find Pettigrew.>

Rose activated _Serendipity_ for what felt like the millionth time that night. 

“ _I wish I knew where Peter Pettigrew was._ ” 

Six seconds later, she pinpointed his location. 

He was in Professor Dumbledore’s office. 

“No!” She activated _Serendipity_ again and appeared back in Professor Dumbledore’s office. Professor Dumbledore himself was nowhere to be seen, but Peter was there in human form. 

In his hands he held an hourglass, which was attached to a gold chain around his neck. He froze when Rose appeared. 

“You can’t escape me, Peter,” she said. 

“Yes, I can,” he replied, traces of a smirk forming on his face. “I can always escape.” 

“Rose, be careful.” 

Rose glanced to her right and saw Professor Dumbledore stepping out of a hidden room. 

“Peter, you don’t know what that is,” Professor Dumbledore said. 

“Yes, I do,” he said. “It’s a time turner, and I’m going to use it to escape through time!” 

Peter turned over the hourglass, but Rose’s readied action went off. She appeared in front of him and grabbed the device, breaking it in half. 

“Rose, no!” Professor Dumbledore exclaimed. 

A blinding flash of light lit up the room. Rose felt a sensation of falling, then everything went white. 


	23. Broken Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rose breaks time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** J.K. Rowling technically owns most of the characters in this chapter.

Rose woke up back in the common room. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt either the carpet in the common room or the sensation of waking up. A thin crowd of students formed around her, most of them whispering to one another. 

“Someone wanna tell me how I got here?” 

Alex inserted herself into the crowd, moving to the front with ease. 

Rose was happy to see her prefect, but an uncertainty crept into her head when she realized the problem. 

“When did you all get back?” 

Sensing a problem, Rose swept her eyes over the crowd. She recognized them, but something about the way they were looking at her said they didn’t recognize her. 

“ _Who is she?_ ” 

“Rose, are you alright?” Alex asked. “What happened to Potter?” 

Rose ran through the organization she’d created during the quake. Where’d she put Harry again? 

“He’s outside with Firecracker, last I checked,” Rose replied. “Wait, why’d you call him ‘Potter’? You always use our first names.” 

“Because he keeps calling himself ‘Dark Lord Potter’ and turning people into pots,” Alex said. “Remember, Headmaster Snape told you to hunt him down and bring him in.” 

Rose picked through each word that Alex had just said. Individually, they made perfect sense, but a blockade stood between Rose and understanding either statement as a whole. After staring blankly at Alex and hoping Reflectesalon would give her something, she yielded to curiosity. 

“What?!” 

“What’s in your hand?” 

Rose looked down at the broken half of Pettigrew’s device. It concerned her that sand was still running out of it, but she stowed it in her basket for safekeeping until she knew more. 

“Pettigrew called it a time turner.” 

“ _Professor_ Pettigrew,” someone Rose didn’t know said. 

Once again, Rose’s mind halted in its tracks, unable to move past this newest piece of information. 

“You’re hilarious,” Rose said dryly. “I’ve got a great idea: Let’s all stop trying to confuse Rose and tell her how long she was out and what happened since we resolved the quake.” 

“What quake?” a boy she also didn’t recognize asked. 

“Stop it! It’s not funny anymore!” 

“Did you catch James Potter or not?” Alex asked. 

That was when Rose noticed the bigger problem in the room: The crowd was _changing_. The last boy to speak suddenly faded from existence, replaced by another boy Rose didn’t recognize. When she turned back to Alex, she’d been replaced by a younger version of herself. She couldn’t have been much older than Luna or Ginny, judging by her height. 

“Is it time to go home?” Fear was not something Rose expected to see on Alex’s face, nor hear in her voice. “My aunt and uncle are still mad at me. I don’t want to go home!” 

Young Alex was replaced by older Alex before Rose’s eyes. Rose took a step towards the fireplace, putting space between her and the magical changing children. 

<Ref, what’s going on?>

The crowd flickered and turned into house-elves. They all glared at Rose as if she weren’t supposed to be there before changing back into humans. 

Rose turned on her heel and ran for the door. She _blinked_ through it, thankful when she made it to the other side. 

“I say! Little girl, how’d you do that?” 

Rose turned to the source of the voice, finding that the Fat Lady was a Fat Gentleman. Otherwise, he looked almost exactly the same. 

“Practice.” Rose’s voice was shaky, imbued with the fear she felt inside. She turned from Gryffindor Tower and ran down the corridor, anxious to escape and figure out what was happening. 

_Professor Dumbledore. He’ll know what to do._

Rose tripped over her feet when she stopped suddenly. Alex had said “Headmaster Snape”. Did that mean Professor Dumbledore was gone? Was Snape an omniscient old man now? 

Rose pulled _Serendipity_ and _power surged_ her twice for good measure. She didn’t know what she’d done or if _Serendipity_ still had charges on her, but Rose wasn’t going to risk it. 

“ _Discern Location – Severus Snape_ ” 

Rose’s heart sank when she got nothing from the spell. She tried again on Professor Dumbledore, Hermione, Luna, and Neville, but couldn’t locate any of them. 

“Alright, think,” Rose ordered herself. “If I were a weird other Dumbledore, where would I be?” 

“I’m not weird!” 

Rose spun around, holding _Serendipity_ at the ready, but found that there was no need. Standing in front of her was an older boy, sixteen from the look of him. He didn’t look like the most powerful wizard to walk the Rowling Plane, but Rose could picture him with a beard and half-moon spectacles. 

“Albus?” she asked. 

“Do I know you?” 

Rose blinked at him, then the truth of her new reality dawned on her. 

“I broke time!” 

“How’d you go about doing that?” Albus asked in a familiar, inquisitive tone. “I’ve heard of time magic, but it’s only experimental. My friend Gellert says people talk about it at Durmstrang sometimes.” 

“Did he tell you how to fix it?” 

Rose wasn’t even surprised; if anyone had the answer, it’d be Dumbledore. 

“Did who tell me how to fix what?” 

Rose let out a sigh of exasperation when she saw Dumbledore restored to his normal years. 

“Professor Dumbledore!” 

“That’s me.” 

“I broke a time turner. How do I fix it!” 

“Oh, that’s easy. All you’ve–” 

In a manner that Rose should’ve seen coming, Dumbledore faded out of view, leaving her alone in the corridor. Overcome by rage and frustration, Rose slammed her fist into the wall. The sensation of rock crumbling underneath her clenched fist was euphoric, relaxing her enough that she could think. 

“How am I supposed to figure this out if no one stays the same for more than two rounds?!” 

<Perhaps the Restricted Section has something.>

Rose jumped up and down with joy and bolted for the library. 

<Ref, you’re the best!>

She passed more students she didn’t recognize, some she did, and some that were probably teachers as children. Rose didn’t want to risk _dimension door_ ; there was no telling what this version of Hogwarts actually looked like, or if it was all about to fade away to nothing. She didn’t even know for certain that the library was still on the first floor, but she had to try. 

Rose spotted a familiar student and stopped running. One look at the student told her all she needed to know. Pompous attitude, blond hair. It could only be one person. 

“What floor’s the library on?” 

“Why should _I_ tell _you_?” 

_It_ is _Goldilocks._

“Lucius?” 

“What of it?” 

<Ref, what floor’s the library on?>

<He thinks first.>

“Thanks!” Rose called as she ran off. She glanced back at him just in time to see him turn to his older self, but wearing a black robe. 

Rose dismissed the oddity as little more than that: an oddity. It didn’t occur to her that she’d just learned all about Death Eaters until a green bolt struck her in the back. She killed her momentum by spinning in place, facing her attackers. 

Three people in black robes and masks stood in front of her, each one with a wand at the ready. 

“Are we doing this now, then?” she asked, assessing her three opponents. 

“All who stand against the Dark Lord shall pay!” 

The middle one, presumably Lucius Malfoy, aimed his wand and another green bolt shot through the corridor at her. Rose allowed it to strike her, hardly feeling a thing when it did. 

She looked down at her unscathed form, then back up at Lucius. 

“Well, that’s just unfortunate,” she said, a smile creeping over her face. She took a few steps forward, expecting them to revert to children, but they remained as they were. 

Rose lunged at Lucius, tackling him to the ground. 

“I don’t know what’s happening, but I doubt anyone’s going to remember this.” She tore off his mask, revealing the man himself. While Rose would’ve enjoyed fear a lot more than anger, she took what she got. 

“Get off me!” 

A wave of his wand sent Rose sailing into the wall. She recovered immediately and lunged at him again, but stopped short the second time so she could jab him in the stomach. 

“Do have any idea what your stupid book did to my little sister?!” she shouted as she beat him over and over. “All so you could settle some grudge with Cohort’s father?!” 

Rose twisted his arm until she heard it snap. His wand clattered to the ground as his two lackeys, presumably the fathers of Butterhead’s lackeys, stared dumbfounded at the little girl beating their boss to death. 

“Stop!” Lucius begged, his voice cracking. “Please!” 

Rose picked him up and hurled him at the other two. All three fell to the ground in a heap of black and red. 

“I’d snap your neck now, but you’re not the one that’s made everything horrible for my friends,” Rose hissed. “As much as I want to fix everything, Goldilocks, I’d _hate_ to pass up this wonderful opportunity to vent my anger over the past few months. So, I’m gonna ask you once: Where’s Fudge?” 

Before Rose could get an answer out of him, Lucius aged 20 years into an old man. 

“Please, no! Dark Lord Granger made me do it! I swear!” 

Rose rolled her eyes and threw him into the wall. Kicking the other two out of her way, she stormed off towards the likely location of a staircase. 

<You should fix this and go home.>

<Not now, Ref. Busy.>

<Rose, we don’t know what’s going on. Anything could happen. Anyone could appear. We’ve already seen–>

Rose rounded the corner and ran into another person, knocking him to the ground. She stepped over him, or possibly on him, she wasn’t paying much attention. 

“Watch where you’re going, _Singya_!” 

Rose turned in a tight circle to face the new arrival. He was clearly a Gray Elf, but not one Rose recognized. Something about his voice sounded familiar, but she couldn’t place it. 

“What did you just call me?” 

“I said–” The boy changed to an adult mid-sentence. “–Rose, if you’re not careful, you’re going to hurt someone.” 

Rose couldn’t believe her eyes. He stood in front of her, clear as day, but something in her wouldn’t allow her to believe that her uncle had ever used the word “ _singya_ ”. 

“Why did you call me ‘ _singya_ ’ a moment ago?” Rose asked. “Did you used to use that word? You _hate_ it.” 

“You of all people should know that it can be impossible to escape the influence of one’s roots. Like Sk’lar, I was raised by an arrogant family that believed the rest of the world trash.” 

Rose opened her mouth to speak, but switched questions before she started. “How are you here? We’re in Hogwarts, aren’t we?” 

“We’re certainly not in Arcrel.” Ozerl looked around the corridor. “It’s got a nice feel to it. Ancient and mysterious. I like it. Not as homely as Arcrel, but still could be a good environment for children, with the right staff backing it up. Maybe a little dark, but with some dusting, perhaps…” 

Rose was so enthralled by the sound of her uncle’s voice that she forgot her situation. Before her eyes, he faded to nothing, leaving her alone once again. 

“No!” She wiped away imagined tears. “Not him! Leave me him!” 

Rose grasped at the air where her uncle had stood, pleading with the corridor to restore him. When nothing happened, Rose slammed her fist into the wall again. 

“Alright,” Rose said. “New plan. We go to the library to find a book on time turners. Then we find Pettigrew, so I can break him and take his half.” 

Instead of running down the corridor, Rose decided on a more direct approach. She jumped about a foot into the air, then slammed her fist down into the floor. It gave way under _mountain hammer_ , dropping her onto the floor below. She repeated this until she found herself standing in the Dungeons. Ignoring all other students, she flew up one floor, then grabbed the nearest student by his collar. 

“Where’s the library?! And spare me any talk about Dark Lords!” 

“Up one floor.” The student pointed a shaky hand above them. “Down the corridor to your left. Please don’t kill me!” 

Rose tossed him aside and flew up another floor. She ran down the corridor, pushing students out of her way to get to the library. Every so often, she’d catch another Gray Elf in Hogwarts. She didn’t know if that was good or bad, but she kept her opinions to herself until she reached the library. Once there, she did the best thing she could think of to get the librarian’s attentions. Rose took in a deep breath, then let out a scream with as much force as she could muster. 

“Be quiet!” 

A woman Rose didn’t recognize stormed over to Rose, looking just as angry as Rose felt. 

“I don’t care who you think you are, but a library is no place for screaming!” 

Rose _dimension jumped_ onto a desk and grabbed the librarian. 

“What’s a time turner?” she demanded. “Are there any books on them?!” 

The librarian opened her mouth to speak, but Rose ignored her in favor of Reflectesalon reading her mind. 

<Restricted Section.>

“Thank you, you’ve been very helpful.” 

Rose pushed the librarian aside and ran into the Restricted Section. She waved her hand over the entrance and a _wall of stone_ appeared between her and the librarian. 

“Much better. Now I can hear myself think.” 

“I don’t think Madame McGonagall’s going to like that.” 

Rose grinned at the familiar voice and looked to a girl sitting in the Restricted Section. 

“Luna?” 

“Hello, Rose,” Luna said. “What are you doing here?” 

“Don’t know, but I’m hoping to find out.” Rose showed her the broken time turner. “Pettigrew called this a time turner. I grabbed it, it broke, then–” 

Luna flickered out of existence. When she came back into focus, her hair was shorter and her eyes were different colors. 

“ _That_ keeps happening.” Rose took a deep breath. “I’ll start over. Pettigrew–” 

“Broke a time turner, you just told me.” She held out her hand. “May I see it?” 

“I don’t see why not,” Rose replied. 

The moment Luna touched it, the room began to spin. Everything blended together like wet paint and swirled around Rose. She recoiled from Luna and fell to her knees. She heaved, her stomach trying to empty itself, to no avail. After a moment, everything slowly stopped spinning, and Rose became aware that Luna was calling her name. 

“Rose!” 

“I’m alright, Moon.” Rose climbed to her feet. “Let’s not do that ever again.” 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize it’d do that.” 

“It’s not your fault.” Rose hoped her tone was as kind as it seemed in her head. She’d hate for Luna to think she’d made things worse. “We just need to learn more about it, that’s all.” 

Luna smiled, then turned to the shelves of books that surrounded them. She flickered again, reappearing a little older. 

“I’m certain I saw a book about time turners somewhere around here.” 

Rose forgot about her quest for a moment and focused instead on Luna. It must’ve just been a coincidence that she was the only one that remembered her. Even Alex eventually forgot who she was, and she held the record for staying coherent the longest. Luna had changed several times, but always stayed in the present with Rose. How was she doing that? 

Rose returned to reality and found Luna scaling the bookshelves, her sights fixed on one book. 

“Is that the book?” Rose called up to her. 

“It should be.” 

“Need help?” 

“No, thank you. I’ve climbed these shelves plenty of times. Once even while fired on.” 

“Wish I could hear about that one.” 

Rose sidestepped a book as it fell to the floor. It was followed shortly by a Luna with long, electric blue hair, although she made a louder sound when she crashed to the ground. 

Rose pulled Luna to her feet and smiled. 

“Good work, Moon.” 

“Thank you, Rose. You make that look a lot easier.” 

Rose opened the book and quickly discovered that there was only a chapter on time turners. It was disappointing, but a good start, nonetheless. After a quick _scholar’s touch_ , she pored over the information again in her head. 

“That’s a lot less helpful than I thought it’d be.” She grimaced at Luna, although Luna’s cheerful attitude helped her out a bit. “All it says about breaking them is ‘don’t’. It’s a contained, _living_ enchantment, and if you break it, I guess it’s released.” 

Rose blinked and Luna was suddenly covered in runes. 

“Maybe someone else knows something. What about one of the professors?” 

“The professors change every few rounds! First Snape was headmaster, then Professor Dumbledore was again, I think, then Uncle Oz was here, then McGonagall was the librarian. You’re the only one that consistently remembers everything!” 

“I’m just lucky, I suppose. It’s not easy keeping everything straight in your head.” 

“You’re not kidding,” Rose muttered. “I’m surprised you can.” 

Luna kept smiling, but her face twitched ever so slightly. Rose had seen that expression on her before, but didn’t know what it was. She’d always assumed Luna was trying not to cry, but she couldn’t think what she’d done to set her off. Unless it wasn’t something _she’d_ done, and something someone else had. There was no way to tell anymore. 

“It’s alright, Moon. We’ll sort this out.” 

“Of course,” Luna said softly. “You can fix anything.” 

“Don’t you forget it!” Rose exclaimed, returning to her normal self. 

Deep down, Rose knew her options were limited. Luna was the only person that consistently remembered her, which meant she was the only person that Rose could rely on for help. Even if nearly everything about her changed every few minutes. 

“Why do you remember me?” 

Luna looked about as lost as Rose, although something still seemed… off. She wasn’t looking Rose directly in the eye. Luna shifted uncomfortably under Rose’s gaze. 

“You know, don’t you?” 

Luna backed up, noticeably shaking in the faint torchlight. Her eyes darted towards the exit that Rose had sealed. 

“Luna, please. If I can replicate whatever it is, then I–” 

“You can’t.” The torches drowned out Luna’s voice. “No one can.” 

“Why not?” 

Luna hunched over and brought her hands closer to her face. She looked like a frightened creature, desperately attempting to escape a predator it stood no chance of beating. With tears in her eyes, she bolted for the blocked exit. Rose made no attempt to stop her; there was little chance of her breaking through the wall. When Luna found she couldn’t escape, she backed herself against the wall. 

“I mustn’t tell,” she sobbed. “Mummy says never to tell!” 

Rose took a step closer to Luna, trying her best to imitate Carolina’s kind, motherly smile. It always made Rose melt down and confess whatever she was hiding; Rose hoped it’d have the same effect on Luna. 

“It’s a family secret, of course.” 

The tears had vanished from Luna’s eyes, and she’d grown a foot or so in the past few seconds. 

“You’re an older Luna, aren’t you?” Rose asked. 

“From a future where you already know about my dreams. It’s something passed down in Mum’s side of the family. We have dreams of other lives. I’ve had them nearly all my life, but they got worse not long before Mum died. I have them almost every night, now. They were the worst in my second year. Near the end, around the earthquake, I had two or three each night.” 

Rose stared at Luna in shock. Luna stared back at Rose with a calm serenity in her eyes. 

“How does that help you remember me?” 

“Because each one of us remembers what the others remember.” 

“Alright, I’ll finish taking that in later. _Please_ tell me how I fixed this.” 

Luna’s smile faded to a look of guilt. 

“I’m sorry, but you never told me about any of this.” 

Rose groaned, cursing her future self for not being more helpful. 

“Alright, I’ll figure it out on my own. I suppose I’ll have to restore the enchantment after I’ve got the second half of the time turner. For that, I’ll need Pettigrew, wherever he’s gone to.” 

Luna’s smile returned to her, and she took one of Rose’s hands. 

“I know you can do it, Rose,” she said. “I never forgot what you could do.” 

“Forgot? How old are you?” 

Before Luna could answer, she reverted to a younger version of herself. 

“Twelve, why?” 

Rose grumbled something about never catching a break, then smashed through the wall to the rest of the library. 

“I’ll see you soon, Little Moon.” 

“You too, Rose.” 

Unlike with the time turner, Rose had several plans as to how to find Pettigrew in the castle. In fact, she had a plan that would solve many of her problems at once. 

She appeared in what she hoped was Gryffindor Tower, risking the possibility of ending up somewhere she didn’t want to be, rather than climbing seven flights of stairs, and found it full of different people. 

“Does anyone know who Fred and George Weasley are?!” Rose called to the crowd. 

“Who are you?” 

“How’d you get in here?” 

“Why should we talk to you?” 

Rose drew _Crimson Thorn_ and sliced the last questioner in two. 

“ _That’s_ why! Fred and George Weasley! Or, if not, has anyone heard of the Marauder’s Map?” 

This time, Rose caught a lucky break, in the form of a student that looked an awful lot like Harry. 

“We’re still making it!” he exclaimed. “Who told you about it?” 

_I hope for Scarface’s sake, his father wasn’t this stupid._

Rose appeared in front of the boy, creating a ripple effect of people trying to escape her, and pressed _Crimson Thorn_ to his throat. 

“Where is it, and how much of the castle does it show?” 

The boy that Rose assumed was some version of James Potter shakily handed her a piece of parchment. On Rose’s orders, he activated it for her, revealing most of the castle. She noticed the other three common rooms were missing, along with some of the professors’ flats. 

“This will do,” she said, snatching the map from the ground. She scanned it, watching the dots and school fluctuate before her eyes. It looked like ink on water, swirling, whirling around on the page with no coherent pattern. Dots flickered like fireflies on the parchment, making it even easier to spot the one that never changed. 

No sooner had she found Pettigrew than he disappeared from the map near the edge of a corridor. 

“That’d better be a secret passage,” Rose growled. “I’ve got time. I’ll wait until he comes out, then I’ll grab–” 

The moment she said it, some instinct inside Rose went off and said, “That’s not gonna happen.” Rose, having had her adventure senses dulled inside the Rowling Plane, didn’t think anything of it until the map burst into flames. 

Rose stared helplessly as the map disintegrated in her hands, taking with it her best bet to find Pettigrew. 

“Ha ha!” an obnoxious voice exclaimed. “Once again, I have saved you all, thus proving myself, Cornelius Fudge, the greatest hero of them all!” 

Rose asked herself many questions at that moment. Why was Fudge acting like Lockhart? What was he doing in Gryffindor Tower? He seemed much more like a Slytherin than a Gryffindor. Why had he felt the need to burn her map? 

Rose decided that the answer to every one of her questions was this: Whoever was messing with her decided she deserved some kind of consolation prize. After her best chance of returning everything to normal had literally gone up in flames, she needed something in return. Something to keep her happy and stop her from tearing the world apart around her. 

Fortunately for the theoretical person running the show, it was exactly what Rose needed, because at that moment, she snapped. 

Rose drew _Crimson Thorn_ and swung him around, killing several of the surrounding students. She fixed her sights on Fudge, who looked a lot less smug than he had a few seconds ago. 

“You are no match for me, little girl!” he declared, sounding just as intimidating and convincing as Lockhart. “I will–” 

Rose cut him off with a bloodcurdling scream. She threw months of anger and rage into one, primal outburst. It resonated through the halls, shattered the windows in the common room, and incapacitated several students. 

But the most important event, in Rose’s mind, was what happened to Fudge. _He_ aged back to a form she recognized, and to her immeasurable glee, he recognized her. 

“What’s going on, little girl?” he asked, seeing the students backing away from him. 

“I’m going to feed you your insides on the end of my blade, Fudge.” Rose neither knew nor cared how she was managing a cross between a hiss, growl, and scream. “I’ll shove my blade so far down your throat it’ll come out the other side.” 

“Little girl… whatever your name was, see here. I am the Minister of–” 

Fudge never finished his sentence before Rose made good on her threat. She rushed through the crowd of students, tearing any of them apart that got between her and Fudge. Fudge screamed and tried to run away from Rose, but she cut him off at every turn. He finally ran into Rose, who grabbed him and charged at the exit to the common room. 

He barely had time to scream again before he and Rose crashed through the wall. 

Rose threw him into another wall then put her hand through his shoulder. Bone gave way under her glove with a series of crunching sounds, turning his shoulder into a smear on her glove. 

“That was for taking Dumbledore during my first year so Voldemort could go after the stone!” 

She drove _Crimson Thorn_ into his leg and gouged the bone out as Fudge screamed. 

“That was for taking him _again_ my second year and putting my friends in danger!” 

She stabbed her blade into his stomach and ripped out his intestines. 

“This is for sending Dementors to Hogwarts and forcing me to watch them torture my friends!” 

Rose drew her blade back to insert _Crimson Thorn_ into Fudge’s throat, but someone tackled her to the ground before she could. Instinct took over and Rose swung a bloody _Crimson Thorn_ at the new attacker, but he expertly deflected the blow with a sword. Rose flew into another blind rage and swung _Crimson Thorn_ at her new opponent, but he blocked each of her blows in turn. 

“Rose!” 

He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. 

“It’s me!” 

Rose’s vision began to clear and she saw her opponent clearly for the first time. 

“ _Toad?!_ ” 

“What’s wrong with you?!” Neville shouted. “You’re not like this!” 

He was taller than the Neville she knew, and dressed in mostly black and dark green. He held the Sword of Gryffindor in his left hand, with some sort of dark green rope tying it to his wrist. 

“Get out of the way, Toad!” 

“Not until you calm down! The Rose I know is better than this! She’s my hero, not some bloodthirsty monster!” 

Rose held _Crimson Thorn_ ready for another attack on Neville, still fixated on Fudge, who was trying to crawl away. She was so fixated that she nearly missed what Toad did next. He didn’t attack her, or pull some clever maneuver that only she’d see coming, but instead lowered his weapon and smiled at her. It was a sad, crooked smile that he always had on during practice. He didn’t see Rose the Maniac, he saw Rose the Hero. It was a look of admiration, one that gave Rose the boost she needed when even _she_ felt like all was lost. 

Rose’s arms fell to her side, and _Crimson Thorn_ clattered on the ground. Neville slid the rope around the Sword of Gryffindor and returned it to his glove. 

“Toad, I’m so sorry,” Rose said. “I…” 

“I’m so happy to see you that I really don’t care,” Neville said in between laughs. “I know you’re better than this. I’ve seen you have bad days before; this is just your worst, that’s all.” 

Rose looked back at Fudge and saw a bloody hole in the wall but no body. He’d already vanished, which gave Neville little time left. 

“Thank you, Toad.” 

“You’re welcome,” Neville replied, handing her _Crimson Thorn_. 

When Rose relaxed, her final option sprang to mind. It was the answer to all of her problems: how to figure out what was going on, how to find Pettigrew, and how to restore the time turner once she did. 

“I’ve got a plan!” 

“When don’t you?” 

“I just need to get to the Chamber of Secrets.” Rose started walking down the corridor. “Then I can–” 

When he appeared, it took Rose a moment to register what she saw. He towered over her, his black scales glistening in the torchlight. A familiar sneer crossed his face. 

“Rose. How nice it is to see you again.” He leaned in closer to her as she stood frozen with fear. “Did you miss me?” 

“Not you,” she whimpered. “Please, anyone but you.” 

“I’m touched that you remember me.” 

Neville ran up to Valignatiejir and took his place at Rose’s side. 

“Get away from her!” 

“Who’s this? Be polite, little girl. I thought I taught you better manners than that.” 

Neville swung his sword at Valignatiejir, but it clattered off his hide without leaving a scratch. Valignatiejir retaliated by backhanding Neville into the wall. 

“Toad!” 

“Toad,” Valignatiejir said, testing the word on his tongue. “A funny name for a funny boy.” 

Rose prepared _Crimson Thorn_ , but couldn’t bring herself to attack. She stood crouched before the dragon that had hurt her, but her fear of him wouldn’t allow her forward. 

Valignatiejir let out a roar of agony as the Sword of Gryffindor dug into his side. 

“Rose isn’t the only one that can overcome damage reduction!” Neville shouted. He drew the sword back and struck again, carving a chunk out of Valignatiejir. 

The dragon grabbed Neville and began to squeeze him. Neville grit his teeth against the pain, struggling to escape the dragon’s grasp. 

“Help me!” 

Neville’s call for help snapped Rose out of her stupor. She lunged at Valignatiejir and swung _Crimson Thorn_ in an arc in front of her, leaving gashes in the dragon’s powerful arms. Unlike their last encounter, she didn’t take off any legs or wings. When she looked at him again, she realized why: he had spells on him. 

Rose dodged an attack from Valignatiejir and swung at his arm, freeing Neville from his grasp. 

“He’s got spells on him,” Rose said as they both landed. “Sk’lar got them off last time; I can’t do anything about them.” 

“Then we keep hitting him harder!” 

“You really think you can beat me?” Valignatiejir crowed. “How adorable.” 

“I will beat you,” Neville said, holding his sword at the ready. “I’ve been dreaming of this day for years. You hurt my best friend, and now you’re going to pay for that.” 

Neville dodged aside a swipe from Valignatiejir, cutting into his arm. The dragon took another swing at Neville, but the boy slid under this one and ran his blade through Valignatiejir’s underbelly. Neville lept off the wall and spun around, putting a gash in Valignatiejir’s wing. He tumbled across the dragon’s back, then hurled his sword into the wall. The elastic rope pulled him from Valignatiejir’s back as the dragon jumped upward into the ceiling. 

Rose looked on in awe of her friend. He couldn’t have been much older than her version of Neville, and already he was an amazing fighter. He nearly took _her_ in a fight, even if she had been blinded by rage. 

“I could sure use some help,” Neville said. “It’s not exactly easy.” 

Rose looked at Valignatiejir, and suddenly, he wasn’t frightening. She had her friend by her side, and with the hope he gave her, she knew she could do it. 

“Let’s beat him, then,” she said, taking a fighting stance. “We ever fight together in the future?” 

“Not really,” Neville said, sizing up Valignatiejir again. “There was so much going on, then you d–” 

Before he could finish his sentence, Neville faded away into nothing, leaving Rose to face Valignatiejir alone. 

“That’s unfortunate,” he sneered. “But that does leave us alone, Rose. Just like it should be.” 

Rose stared at the empty space where Neville had been a second earlier. She sensed Valignatiejir’s strike before he made it, but didn’t care enough to react. The claw strike sent her sailing into the wall. Her mind didn’t register the pain over the loss of her friend. 

Valignatiejir lumbered towards her, paralyzing her again with fear. Rose recovered and _dimension jumped_ past him. She ducked down a corridor, then stopped to collect herself. 

“You’re only delaying the inevitable, Rose.” Valignatiejir’s voice sent chills over her body. She backed away from the sound of Valignatiejir routing in the corridor. 

“I can’t beat him without the others,” Rose sobbed. “I only won last time because the Exalted were with me. I was wrong; I can’t beat him alone.” 

“ _That’s it, Little Rosie?_ ” a voice said to her. “ _You’re giving up?_ ” 

She gasped at the sound of Sally’s voice. She looked around for just a moment before realizing he’d spoken through the castle. 

“ _Think about this, Little Rosie: Reflectesalon won’t tell you about Little Moon’s dreams. What’s the one thing about which he won’t tell you?_ ” 

Not ten minutes ago, Rose had torn a bone out of Cornelius Fudge’s body out of pure rage. Yet at that moment, she felt more rage build inside her than she’d ever felt before. It built inside her as Valignatiejir rounded the corner, drowning out her fear. 

“It’s not just her lives about which she dreams, it’s _mine_.” Rose stared up at Valignatiejir, her strength restored. “She dreams about _you_.” 

Rose swung _Crimson Thorn_ at Valignatiejir, rage coursing through her veins like fire. She danced around his attacks, leaving marks of her own on his hide to match those from Neville. She struck, and she struck, but no matter how many times she tried, Valignatiejir still stood. 

“ _Shadow was right about you. You fixate on one thing and can’t think of anything else._ ” 

She lept back five feet to put distance between her and Valignatiejir. 

“What else _is_ there?” 

“ _Is he immune to fire?_ ” 

Rose froze in place, realizing the obvious solution that she’d overlooked. 

“Oh.” 

Rose collapsed _Crimson Thorn_ and sheathed him, then retreated to give herself more space. She removed her picnic basket from her bracelet, then drew _Dark Meteor_ from inside. 

“For my sister that you hurt.” 

Rose fired off a round of meteors, taking a sick joy in Valignatiejir’s screams. 

“My brother that had to watch me die.” 

Explosions clouded her vision, but she knew he hadn’t moved. She sensed him in the corridor, a lumbering, dark shape in front of her. 

“And me, whose life you ruined.” 

Entire chunks of the corridor were thrown asunder as another round of meteors ripped the dragon apart. 

Rose dumped _Dark Meteor_ back into her basket, then drew _Crimson Thorn_ again. When the dust settled, Valignatiejir lay on his side, his blood spilled over the corridor. 

“I’ve suffered for years because of you, but I’m free. I’m not going to let you control me anymore, Valignatiejir. And I will not let you hurt my little sister.” 

As Valignatiejir faded away, Rose turned her attention to the ceiling. 

“Sally! Where the Hells is Pettigrew?!” 

“Hiding inside a secret passageway, terrified of the ghosts he’s seeing.” 

If nothing else, it warmed Rose’s heart to know that Pettigrew was as miserable as she was. She faced the green-haired boy that had materialized behind her. It crossed her mind that Sally wasn’t flickering in and out of existence, but she dismissed her concerns. 

“Show me.” 

“You may not want to go back,” Sally said. “You won’t like what you find.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Your friends are dead.” 


	24. Fixing Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rose fixes time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** We have returned to the land of J.K. Rowling Owns Things.

**Moments Ago**

The floor gave an inch and Hermione nearly lost her grip on Ron’s arm. 

“Let go!” he shouted. 

“I can’t leave you to die! We’ll think of something!” 

“They can’t reach Gryffindor Tower fast enough to get help! If the knights come any closer, we’ll all fall! Sirius can’t do anything to help! Let go!” 

Hermione stole a glance at Sirius, who paced nervously not far from them. Every few seconds, he looked at the Nimblewrights. He was waiting on them to do something. They were frozen in place, the contradiction in their orders too great. 

A dull pain shot through her hand. She looked back to Ron and saw him wail on her hand again with his free hand. 

“Stop it!” 

“Let go!” 

They lost another few inches, but Hermione tightened her grip when she heard the rock cracking. She remained determined to keep her hold on Ron, even if it meant falling with him. 

She glanced back at Sirius, then a thought struck her. 

“Sirius! I think I can get my wand out of my back pocket! If I throw it to you, do you think you can levitate him up?” 

When she didn’t hear a response, she glanced back at Sirius. He backed up a step, ears back, like an injured wolf retreating from a bigger wolf. 

“Sirius!” 

Another glance back told her all she needed to know: He wasn’t going to help them. She didn’t know if it was fear of getting hurt himself, or an unwillingness to get involved, but Sirius wasn’t going to save them. There was nothing she could do. 

She freed her other arm and grabbed onto Ron with both arms. Her heart raced when she felt herself sliding down. 

“Taltria! Alavel!” She took a breath as she came to terms with what was about to happen. “Tell my parents I love them.” 

Ron swung his fist at her again, but she grabbed it with her free hand and held him tightly. 

“I wish I hadn’t gone out and apologized,” Ron said, struggling to free his hands. “Then you’d be safe.” 

“I’m glad you did.” Hermione smiled at him, blinking away tears. “Goodbye, Ron.” 

“No!” 

The floor gave way beneath her, and they fell through to the fifth floor. Hermione kept her gaze focused on Ron as they fell. She knew she was about to die; at least the last thing she’d see was her friend. 

Sirius carefully approached the hole in the floor and peeked over the edge. The children lay at the bottom of the fifth floor, a pool of blood forming around them. He closed his eyes and backed away from the sight of the dead children. 

* * *

“Enough!” Rose shouted. 

“The others are self-explanatory,” Sally said. “Toad was crushed beneath falling rocks, and Herbology was unable to retrieve him in time. Princess was knocked out by a nasty head injury, then tossed around the Dungeons by a torrent. Runes was too preoccupied with dealing with the rush of water to rescue her.” 

Rose stood, frozen in the corridor. A nagging sensation reminded her she was supposed to be doing something, but she couldn’t remember what it was. 

Did it matter? Sirius knew Hermione and Ron were dead, so she couldn’t resurrect them without him knowing. She couldn’t explain it to Professors Sprout or Babbling, which meant Neville and Sally-Anne were gone too. 

“You can just bring them back of course,” Sally said. “I never had that option with Rosalind, otherwise I might have taken it.” 

“How am I supposed to explain what I can do?” 

“Wipe everyone’s memories.” 

“All of Hufflepuff?” 

“Oh. Toad may have to be an acceptable loss.” 

“Acceptable loss? He just fought Valignatiejir alongside me!” 

“How much better did you feel when you were beating down that man in the corridor earlier? Or the Minister? How does it feel to ignore the rules and do whatever needs to be done? Wouldn’t you prefer that over caring what other people think? Just let go!” 

Sally’s expression hardened, his eyes piercing her defences. Rose took a step back, taken aback by Sally’s sudden shift in tone. His usual apathetic look was gone, and it unnerved her. 

“What happened to trying to help me?” Her words came out shaky, uncertain. 

“I am trying to help you. Look around you! Time is bleeding around you. You can fix it. But can you truly go back to the way things were?” 

Rose hesitated again, caught off guard by Sally’s question. For the first time since she’d broken the time turner, she allowed herself to look at what she’d done. She couldn’t tell anyone about it. Shadow _might_ understand, but none of her other friends would. Dumbledore would never let her out of his sight if she spoke a word about it. 

At the same time, it felt so good to let loose and take control. She couldn’t do that without getting lectured by Dumbledore, McGonagall, Sk’lar, or Carolina. Rose realized that she didn’t want to return to the way things had been. For once, she could use her abilities without fear of people seeing what she could do. She could do what she knew was right without concern for some dictator trying to make their lives miserable. 

“I’m not your enemy, Rose. I have no desire to harm you, nor your friends. I only want to spare you the pain of losing them. Having friends contradicts who you are; they hold you back.” 

“You don’t know–” 

“–Anything about you? I know plenty about you. Your personality is written all over your face, Little Rosie. You _loved_ taking fate into your own hands. Don’t let them hold you back anymore.” 

Rose’s mind slipped away, letting Sally’s words lift her off into a land where she wasn’t trapped. Sally cut the strings that tied Rose down and allowed her to break free and save the world. The possibilities made her quiver with excitement. She could stop the Dementors, finish off Voldemort, or bring Moon’s mum back to life. No longer held back by concern for the consequences, Rose was free to unleash her power to its fullest. All she had to do was let go of her friends. 

<They don’t hold you back.> Reflectesalon’s voice startled Rose out of her trance and brought her back to reality. As if waking up from a dream, she rubbed her eyes and forced herself to return to awareness. <Your friends give you _hope_. Remember how you felt when you met Moon and Toad earlier. Remember when Brain took you to talk to Sk’lar, Shadow, Oz, and Alice. >

_I know you can do it, Rose._

_She’s my hero, not some bloodthirsty monster!_

_Let’s go find out. Together._

“My friends give me hope. They’re the only reason I’m still fighting. Now are you going to help me find Pettigrew or not?” 

* * *

Peter crawled through a hole in the wall to escape the Dark Lord. He ducked into a siding, narrowly dodging a green bolt that would’ve spelled his death. 

“Come out, Wormtail. Come and meet your master.” 

The time turner around his neck weighed him down, but he didn’t dare take it off. The sand was leaking out of it, and he didn’t want to think about what would happen when it emptied. 

He stopped for a moment inside the tunnel to catch his breath. No one could get him inside the walls. Whatever was going on, he was safe inside the walls of Hogwarts. 

The walls shook with such force that he was thrown asunder. He recovered and checked on the time turner. When he saw that his half was still intact, he scrambled down the tunnel, hoping to escape whatever it was that was shaking the castle. 

Something broke through the wall behind him, nearly catching him as it flew past. He caught a glimpse of something green breaking through the wall, then sprinted to escape it. 

“There you are, my pet. Come to me.” 

Voldemort’s words were replaced by a hissing sound, telling Pettigrew that the creature was a snake. It ripped through the wall again, nearly catching him with it. Weighed down by the time turner, he didn’t know if he could escape. No, he could escape; he could _always_ escape. He heard it rearing up for another attack, and bolted down the tunnel as fast as he could. 

“Who are you?” 

_SHINK!_

_THUD!_

A green flash lit up the small tunnel. Pettigrew knew that sound; it was the sound of Peta-Lorrum’s weapon. Whatever giant snake Voldemort had commanded was dead, and with any luck, so was the girl. If he could just escape… 

Pettigrew stopped dead. If it _was_ the little girl, then it was likely she had the other half of the time turner. If Voldemort had just killed her, then he’d probably grab it from her. That meant _Voldemort_ now possessed the other half of the time turner. Stopping the little girl was one thing; taking it from Voldemort would be nearly impossible. 

No, maybe not. Perhaps he could talk the Dark Lord into parting with it. It was in his best interest after all. Pettigrew was but a humble servant, enacting an ingenious plan to draw the girl out. Yes, that was it. If he could just convince Voldemort of that, he still had a chance. 

He crept back to the opening in the wall. Pettigrew stole a glance back into the corridor, but before he could get a good look, a hand grabbed him. 

“There you are, Petey,” a grating voice said. “I’ve been looking all over for you.” 

Peter wriggled in her grasp, then curled up and bit her. He expected warm blood to flow over his mouth, but he didn’t break the skin. He wasn’t sure if he broke her _gloves_. 

“Nice try, but that’s not going to work.” 

Peter made a final, desperate attempt to escape and returned to his human form. The force of his transformation freed him from Peta-Lorrum’s grasp, and he made a mad dash for the end of the corridor. He didn’t know where he was going, only that he needed to escape from her if he ever wanted a chance to escape for good. 

He had nearly rounded the corner when something caught his feet and he fell headlong into the wall. Peter recovered just in time to see a familiar girl with short, bushy hair hold her hand up to him. 

A red flash lit up his world, then everything went black. 

* * *

Rose smiled at another familiar face. It was Hermione, once again older than she’d known her. Rose wasn’t good at judging age, but she figured at least sixth- or seventh-year. 

“Thanks, Brain.” 

Hermione turned and glared at Rose, catching her off guard. 

“Oh. It’s _you_.” The words sounded sour on her lips, and she looked as if she’d just tasted something foul. 

Rose didn’t know how to respond. What had she done in the future to warrant this? 

Hermione glanced down at Pettigrew, noticing the time turner. 

“We’re just finishing our third year, right?” Hermione asked. 

“Yeah,” Rose replied slowly. 

Hermione’s expression soften just a little. Whatever it was that Rose had done, she hadn’t done it yet. That was a plus. It also meant that there was still a chance that Hermione survived the quake. 

“I thought you were dead,” Rose said. 

“Tell me to order Taltria and Alavel to return to Gryffindor Tower. Sirius was afraid they’d kill him as soon as he changed back. Then Sirius will change back, and save Ron and I from falling to our deaths.” 

Rose frowned. “It already happened, though.” 

“When your friend repairs the time turner, it will bring you back to just before you blundered into Professor Dumbledore’s office. You’ll have one chance to fix everything. Don’t waste it.” 

Rose allowed the words to sink in, fixating on one particular part: “your friend”. Rose was already planning on getting Sally to fix the time turner, but how did Hermione know? Had Rose told her about Sally in the future? Had she just said she got a friend to fix it? 

Hermione motioned to the time turner. “I don’t know if it’s safe for me to touch that, so I’ll leave you to it.” 

Hermione turned around and began walking down the corridor. It took Rose a moment to understand what was happening, but once she did, she took off after her. 

“Hold on! What did I do?” 

“Be more honest with me,” Hermione said, glaring at her once more. “It won’t fix everything, but it’s a good start.” The sour look returned to her face. “I can’t tell you your big mistake, nor would it matter if I did. You’d still do it. It’s who you are.” 

Rose found herself bending under Hermione’s glare. She wanted to apologize, but it would just be empty words. She didn’t know what she’d done, and there was nothing she could do. 

“I’ll tell you everything,” Rose said. “I promise.” 

Hermione’s glare didn’t ease up any. She merely shook her head. “I’ve heard it all before, Rose. I believed it then, but I won’t believe it now. You were my best friend once, but now, I _hate_ you.” 

Hermione’s words stung Rose worse than anything she’d felt in the past hour. Rose felt the sensation of crying, although no tears came out. 

“I’m sorry,” she said with a broken voice. “I didn’t… I won’t.” 

“Yes, you will. You always will. It’s who you _are_. You–” Hermione clenched her fists and closed her eyes, an expression with which Rose was all too familiar. “You’ll find out soon enough. When you do, don’t come crawling to me for forgiveness. I’m not offering it.” 

Rose didn’t know what to say. After she’d worked to restore order, not for the first time, she wasn’t sure if she wanted everything to return to normal. It wasn’t that she wanted the freedom this world provided, but that she didn’t want to hurt her friend so badly. What had she done that was so terrible? What did Hermione mean when she said that it was who Rose was? 

Before Rose could ask any more questions, Hermione faded away, leaving her glare burned into Rose’s mind. 

“I told you that you might not want to fix this.” 

Sally held the other piece of the time turner in his hand, looking just as apathetic as he always did. 

“What did I do?” 

“I don’t know. The nature of my existence makes me temporally stable, so I remain immune to the present situation. Although it’s given me quite a new wealth of minds to tap.” 

Rose thought for a moment, then got an idea. 

“I couldn’t read Brain’s mind,” Sally said, apparently having the same idea as Rose. “Nor Toad’s, nor Moon’s. You’ve trained them well.” 

“That’s something I suppose.” Rose bent down and took the other half of the time turner from Pettigrew. “What do I do?” 

“Leave that to me.” 

* * *

“Sirius! I think I can get my wand out of my back pocket! If I throw it to you, do you think you can levitate him up?” 

When she didn’t hear a response, Hermione glanced back at Sirius. He backed up a step, ears back, like an injured wolf retreating from a bigger wolf. 

“Sirius!” 

<He’s afraid that Taltria and Alavel will kill him on sight. Send them back to Gryffindor Tower.>

Unable to reach the _condition conch_ , Hermione had no way of asking Rose for elaboration, but she pushed it aside to ask about later. 

“Taltria, Alavel, see to the rest of the students!” 

“Our orders are–” Alavel began. 

“Sirius is afraid you’ll kill him if he changes back here, and he’s the only one who can save us right now! Your orders are to keep us safe, and leaving is the only way to do that! Get out of here!” 

She stole another glance at them, glaring in her best impression of Professor McGonagall. However bad it seemed to Hermione, it worked on the Nimblewrights. With one last reluctant look at them, they ran back towards Gryffindor Tower. Once they were out of sight, Hermione pulled her wand out of her pocket and flung it over her shoulder, praying that it went far enough to get out of the falling floor. 

She started laughing when she heard footsteps behind her, but reminded herself that they weren’t out of the woods yet. 

“ _Levicorpus!_ ” 

An invisible hand grabbed Ron’s ankles and lifted him out of the hole. Hermione climbed to her feet, falling backwards to get away from the collapsing stone. 

Sirius guided Ron to an undamaged part of the floor. The moment he’d landed safely, Hermione ran to him and threw her arms around him. 

“Don’t do that!” she said. 

“I’m fine,” he said, standing up as best he could with Hermione’s help. “In the future, I’ll do my best not to die.” 

“Good! If you do, I’ll… I’ll tell your mother!” 

Ron let out a low groan, looking as if he were about to be ill. 

“I don’t know who his mother is, but she sounds terrifying.” 

Hermione accepted her wand back from Sirius and thanked him. 

“I hope that makes up for any damage I did earlier.” 

“You’re fine for now,” Ron said. “Let’s keep going. We’re almost done.” 

* * *

<Moon, Princess is dying! You’ve got to get her out of the water!>

Luna stopped running and nearly slipped on the slick floor. She immediately accepted Rose’s words as fact, then began searching for a way to save Princess. 

How could she get Princess out of the water? Easy; the same way you got anything else out of the water. 

She pulled her chalk from behind her ear and began drawing on the wall. She didn’t know how much time she had, but she knew she needed to go fast. No time to make her drawing perfect, only to make it functional. 

<Little Moon, I’m almost to your position.>

<Never mind me, we’ve got to save Princess. Run ahead and tell me when the water’s approaching, then run back when it’s coming.>

Tutela ran past her a moment later, disappearing from sight not long after. A minute later, Professor Babbling came running down the corridor. By then, Luna’s drawing was almost finished. 

“Luna!” Professor Babbling called as she ran past. “What are you still doing here?” 

Luna kept drawing on the wall. She only needed another few seconds to complete her drawing. 

“I’ve got to help Princess,” Luna replied. “Where’s Tutela?” 

“Your dog? I passed her on the way here,” Professor Babbling replied. “She wouldn’t listen to me.” 

“That’s because she’s watching the water. She’ll–” 

<Little Moon, water!>

“You should get behind me,” Luna said, calm as ever. She knew she could save Princess; after all, Rose had entrusted it to her, so she must’ve known Luna could do it. 

“We’ve got to–” 

“I’ve got a plan,” Luna said, smiling. 

Professor Babbling stared back at her, clearly in awe of her genius. At least, that’s what Daddy had always told her when people stared at her like that. 

“Has anyone ever told you you’re a lot like your mother?” 

“Daddy does sometimes,” Luna replied as Tutela ran past her. 

Luna hadn’t talked with Professor Babbling much since she was a little girl, but she was sure that Professor Babbling was clever. Her mum used to talk about her a lot, so Luna was sure that Professor Babbling had already worked out her plan. That made it easy. 

Luna watched as the water approached, then pressed the button she’d drawn on the wall. 

A large net sprang out from her side of the corridor. The ends of the net fell neatly into place on the other side. 

“Fasten those in place!” 

Professor Babbling did as she was told, securing the net on her end. Luna wasn’t great with facial expressions, but she was certain that Professor Babbling was impressed. 

Water poured through the net, and Luna climbed up the side of the wall so she didn’t get swept away. Tutela grabbed Professor Babbling and dragged her up the other wall. 

“Is… is your dog flying?” Professor Babbling asked. 

“I think so,” Luna replied. “She should be.” 

It wasn’t long before the water died down, and one thing remained in the net. Princess lay motionless at the bottom of the corridor. 

Luna pressed another button and the net collapsed into the corridor. She and Professor Babbling rushed over to her. Professor Babbling pressed her ear to Princess’s chest, listening for signs of life. 

“She’s alive, but barely. We’ve got to get her to Pomfrey immediately.” 

“Done.” Luna turned to Tutela. “You heard her. Immediately.” 

Tutela nodded, then tripled in size. They didn’t waste any time securing themselves to Tutela, then the homunculus tore off down the corridor and out of the Dungeons. 

* * *

“What about Rose?” 

“I said _normal_ third-year. Rose doesn’t–” 

Pomona found herself cut off by a barrage of rock falling from the ceiling. Neville reacted first, shoving her out of the way, taking the hit himself. 

“Neville!” 

Many of the students turned back and ran to help. 

“Keep going!” she shouted, convincing herself that he was alright. “There’s nothing anyone can do for him now!” 

She couldn’t risk banishing the rubble, because she could just as easily catch him in the spell, nor could she risk moving the rock and crushing him. All Pomona could do was stare helplessly as her student was crushed to death beneath part of the castle. 

Something shifted beneath the wreckage, then rocks tumbled aside. Pomona’s eyes went wide with shock as Neville rose out of the wreckage. Rose stood by his side, tossing rocks out of her way as if they were pillows. 

“Rose?” 

“Present.” 

“How’d you do that?” 

“I’ve got this sixth sense that tells me when my friends are in danger.” She grinned. “It’s not terribly helpful, since it goes off _all the time_ , but sometimes I listen.” 

Neville started to laugh, contradicting Pomona’s shock. “I can’t tell if you’re joking.” 

Rose patted Neville’s arm. “Now we’re even, Toad.” 

Neville frowned at her, evidently as confused as Pomona was. “For what?” 

“Ask me another time, and I’ll tell you.” She turned to Pomona. “Are the rest of your students safe?” 

Pomona nodded, still unclear as to what the girl had done. She pushed it out of her mind. Everyone was safe, and that was the only important thing at the moment. 

“Let’s get to Hogsmeade,” Pomona said. 

“You go on ahead,” Rose said. Her expression twisted into a dark look, not quite hateful, but not quite angry. “I’ve got one last thing to take care of.” 

Pomona took one look at the girl and had a question to ask her. Several questions, in fact, but she chose to stick with an order instead of asking any of them. 

“Don’t kill anyone.” 

Neville gasped as if she’d just spoken blasphemy, but Rose understood her sentiment. A grin crossed the girl’s face that was more unnerving than the look of murderous determination. 

“Don’t worry, Professor. I’ll take good care of him.” 

She held her wand to her face and whispered something. Pomona swore she caught the word “Pettigrew”. Exactly six seconds later, Rose vanished in a burst of rose petals. 

“That can’t be good,” Pomona muttered. 

“Who’s Peter Pettigrew?” Neville asked. 

Pomona looked down the corridor, then back to Neville. “I suppose we’ve got some time to kill.” 

* * *

Rose appeared in a field far outside the bounds of Hogwarts. She didn’t know where precisely, but she was close enough to Pettigrew that she didn’t care. 

The man jumped when he saw her, then remained frozen in place. 

“I’m sorry, did I not give you a good enough running start?” Rose asked. “Or did I forget to mention that I can find you no matter how far you run?” 

Pettigrew transformed into a rat, the time turner dangling from his neck, and bolted through the field. Rose looked ahead to a forest that wasn’t far off. If Pettigrew could make it to that forest, it’d become harder to track him. 

Rose turned back to the parting of grass that identified Pettigrew’s location, then activated _undermaster_. 

Pettigrew flew into the air, unable to escape from _reverse gravity_. He returned to human form, flailing helplessly in the air. 

Rose floated over to him, positioning herself right in front of him. 

“I’m not going to let you escape, Peter. Instead, I’m going to take every happy memory you’ve got. Every memory that gives you hope or comfort; I’m going to take them all. People I cared about are dead because of you. After everything you’ve done – everything you’ve _caused_ – I _should_ take it all away.” 

Rose pulled out her scrolls and began to read from the one of _mindrape_. 

“Please, no!” 

Rose wanted nothing more than to see Pettigrew suffer. Every single inch of her wanted to hear him scream in agony. She wanted to tear into him with _Crimson Thorn_ and spill his blood over the ground. What she’d done to Fudge would be _nothing_ compared to what she’d do to Pettigrew. 

_You were my best friend once, but now, I hate you._

_She’s my hero, not some bloodthirsty monster!_

“That’s what I _should_ do… what I _want_ to do, but I won’t. That’s what Valignatiejir would do, and I will _never_ be like him.” 

Rose rolled up the scroll and placed it back on her bracelet. 

“Thank you!” Pettigrew exclaimed, tears in his eyes. “Thank you!” 

“Although, speaking of the Abomination,” Rose said. She placed her hand on Pettigrew. 

“ _Hibernate!_ ” 

Pettigrew’s eyes closed and he collapsed. Rose knew from experience it’d keep him suspended for months, and for him, there was no escaping it. 

Rose grabbed the time turner from him, slung Pettigrew over her shoulder, then finally brought them back to Professor Dumbledore’s office. When she arrived, she found him just leaving the same room he had when she’d broken the time turner. Its box was on the floor, wide open, as Pettigrew had left it. 

“Rose, what happened?” Dumbledore asked, noticing the open box. 

“This one tried to use your time turner to escape.” Rose shifted Pettigrew’s body when she said it. “Suffice to say, it didn’t work.” 

Rose held out her hand and presented the time turner to Dumbledore. 

“Get rid of this thing. I was lucky, but a student might not be. It’s too dangerous to leave lying around.” 

Professor Dumbledore took the time turner from her and placed it back in its box. 

“I will make sure it stays safe from now on.” He placed it back inside a drawer in his desk. “What did you mean, ‘you were lucky’?” 

Rose thought back to her adventure in Broken Time Land and frowned. 

“I’ll tell you all about it later. Right now, we’ve got to get this one secured and check on everyone else. My friends are all safe; I’ve seen to that, but I don’t know about the students.” 

Dumbledore nodded to her. 

“Thank you for your help today,” he said. “We’re still going to talk about your behavior this year, but you’ve gone a long way towards making up for it.” 

Rose gave a too-big smile, glad Professor Dumbledore didn’t know the half of what she’d done. 


	25. Justice for All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which justice is served.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** The J in J.K. Rowling (Remember her? She owns Harry Potter) probably doesn't stand for Justice.

The Nimblewrights led the procession to Honeydukes cellar. Ron and Hermione were behind them, with Professors Vector and McGonagall bringing up the rear. None of them spoke a word the entire way to Hogsmeade, although Hermione nearly broke into giddy laughter when she saw the exit. 

“I can’t believe we made it!” 

“We’re not out of the woods yet,” Professor Vector said. “We don’t know who survived the quake.” 

“It couldn’t have been an earthquake,” Professor McGonagall said. “If it was, it would be the first to hit that hard. It didn’t feel like one, nor would one have done so much damage to the castle.” 

Hermione dug around her mind for information about local fault lines, but stopped when she realized she didn’t know where exactly in Scotland Hogwarts was. 

“It’s odd,” Ron said. “It hit the entrances and common rooms, like someone was _trying_ to kill people.” 

“You may be right, Mr. Weasley,” Professor Vector said. 

“We can worry about that later,” Professor McGonagall said. “We must tend to the children right now.” 

That was enough to keep them quiet for another minute. Sirius trotted along behind them, keeping his distance from the professors. Hermione couldn’t blame him; he’d been imprisoned for murder, and he didn’t know if he could trust anyone. 

Ginny met them at the entrance to Honeydukes. She looked battered, but no worse for wear. 

“Finally! Come on!” 

“It can’t be that important, Ms. Weasley,” McGonagall said. “Where is Ms. Nertlyn?” 

“Everyone else is in Hog’s Head! That’s where they’re keeping Sally-Anne and Neville!” 

Professor McGonagall turned to Professor Vector. “Septima, coordinate with Severus, Pomona, and Filius. Albus if he’s back yet, although I doubt he is.” 

“At once.” She glanced around the town. “Where are they?” 

Hermione relayed her question to Dripty, then informed Professor Vector that they were in the Three Broomsticks. Professor Vector took off, leaving Ginny to limp the way to the Hog’s Head Inn. 

“What happened to you?” Hermione asked. 

“Nearly got run over is what happened to me,” Ginny said. “Giant dog Hagrid calls ‘Fluffy’ was in the Forbidden Forest. Harry tried to stun it, but it was too big, but the light from his spell caught Professor Lupin’s attention, so he tackled me out of the way.” 

“I’m going to need a lot more context than that,” Hermione said. 

They entered the inn, meeting a wall of noise from rowdy students when they entered. Although the moment they did, dead silence fell over the inn. Professor McGonagall turned to the innkeeper, who nodded towards the stairs. The sea of students parted to allow the four of them to pass. Hermione glanced behind her, catching a glimpse of Sirius outside. He was flanked on either side by the Nimblewrights, likely to ensure he didn’t go anywhere. 

They reached the second floor and spotted Tutela standing guard outside one of the rooms. She barked when she saw them, drawing them inside the room. 

Neville and Sally-Anne were on twin beds. Neville was upright, covered in cuts and bruises, although many of them were healing. Sally-Anne was unconscious, flanked by Harry and Alex, as Madame Pomfrey looked over her. Professor Babbling sat at the foot of her bed, but stood up when she saw them arrive. 

“How is she?” Professor McGonagall asked. 

“Alive,” Madame Pomfrey replied. “She’s got a concussion, but fortunately she didn’t inhale any water. I don’t know _how_ she managed that, given that she was underwater for at least a minute. If they hadn’t acted quickly, she wouldn’t have survived.” 

Professor McGonagall turned to Neville. “And you, Mr. Longbottom?” 

“Nearly crushed under a pile of rocks,” Neville said as if telling her about an ordinary weekend. “Rose jumped in at the last minute to save me.” 

Hermione glanced around the room for Rose, but only found Luna sitting in a corner opposite the beds. 

“Where _is_ Ms. Peta-Lorrum?” Professor McGonagall asked. 

Hermione glanced at Luna, only to find that Luna was looking at her. Finding it a little unnerving, Hermione turned her attention to Neville, then to Harry, to find that _everyone_ was looking at her. 

“I don’t know where she is,” Hermione said. “Last I knew she was with Professor Dumbledore.” 

“She said she had something to take care of,” Neville said. “That’s all I know.” 

“Does anyone know what happened?” Neville asked. 

Hermione and Ron explained what had happened just before the earthquake, leaving out the part about Professor Lupin being a werewolf. Hermione was also sure to leave out the part about the ward blocking Rose’s telepathic network. 

“What about the rest of the students?” Alex asked. “Did everyone else make it out okay?” 

They went around the room, giving a brief report about their respective charges. When they were finished, they realized that Atrien had been the only casualty. 

Hermione took a moment to calm down and think about what she’d just done. Between her and Ron, they’d evacuated all of Gryffindor, dodging falling rocks and avoiding collapsing floors. They’d nearly died once that she could remember, although she wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d just blown off what would constitute certain death for a normal, sane person. 

<Professor Dumbledore and I are on our way. We’ve got Pettigrew with us. Eom.>

Hermione, Neville, and Luna picked up their heads. 

“What is it?” Ron asked. 

“Rose is on her way,” Hermione said. “She’ll probably be going outside. We should go and meet her.” 

“I’m staying here,” Harry said. 

“Harry–” Alex said. 

“Sally-Anne’s one of my best friends,” Harry said. “I want to stay until I know she’s alright.” 

“Let me do that,” Alex said. “Everything that’s happening involves you more than anyone. Someone betrayed your parents, and you deserve to know who it was. Go outside and talk to them. I’ll let you all know as soon as Sally-Anne wakes up.” 

Harry looked at Sally-Anne, laying helpless in her bed, and thought about what she would’ve said if she’d been conscious. He caught the shouting of people downstairs, and realized that they had no clue about anything that was going on upstairs. Not for the first time in his life, he wished that he were one of them. Completely ignorant to everything going on; just a normal boy with a normal life. 

But he wasn’t; the great Harry Potter didn’t get to have a normal life. He was doomed to be the target of maniacs and fanatics. Forced to live with his aunt and uncle, no matter how bad they were. 

“Harry, mate, if it’s any good, he saved our lives,” Ron said, indicating himself and Hermione. “I know it seems bad, but… if you hear Rose explain it… it was the only time she’s ever made sense.” 

Ron wore a crooked smile on his face, an alien expression if Harry had ever seen one. He didn’t understand; none of them could understand what he’d gone through. 

He heard shouting and gasping from downstairs. Cries of “What was that?” and “Did you see that?” pierced the silence of the makeshift Hospital Wing. 

“They’re here,” Hermione said. 

Harry looked back at Sally-Anne, then settled into his seat. “I’m staying here. I’m not interested in what anyone else has got to say.” 

* * *

The process of returning everyone to the castle had been an easy one. After the professors and Rose had ensured that it wasn’t about to come down on their heads, the students had been allowed to return to their rooms. No one got a lot of sleep that night. Half of them were scared that the castle would come down on them at any moment, and the other half were too excited about it. 

Breakfast was a haze to everyone. As if drifting along in a dream, they all sat down, but no one knew what to talk about. The Quidditch World Cup coming up in Great Britain? Who cared, they nearly died. End of year exams? O.W.L.s? The castle tried to _kill them_! 

Near the end, after everyone had taken their fill of coffee or tea, Professor Dumbledore addressed the students. 

“First, I’d like to thank you all for helping to make the evacuation as smooth as possible,” Professor Dumbledore said. “Five points to each student, and give yourselves a round of applause.” 

Applause resounded through the Great Hall. 

“Now, I’m sure you’re all wondering what happened. To answer that, we’ve got to jump back about 12 years. Allegedly, Sirius Black murdered a man named Peter Pettigrew. Not only did Mr. Black not kill Pettigrew, but none of the other people he was accused of killing. Instead, Pettigrew himself killed those people, framed Mr. Black, then escaped. He showed himself last night, and was apprehended with the help of Mr. Black, Professor Lupin, and a few of the students.” 

“That’s it?” Ron whispered. “‘A few of the students’?” 

“Sh,” Hermione hissed. 

“Unfortunately, Pettigrew had been placing explosive runes throughout the castle all year. Like Mr. Black, Pettigrew is an animagus. His animagus form is a rat, which gave him nearly unrestricted access to the castle. He placed runes that were set to go off if he entered the castle after a certain point in time. When he was brought into the castle last night, the runes went off. The attack was designed to cause panic and allow him to escape. Once again, thanks to the combined efforts of the staff and a handful of students, the damage was mitigated and Pettigrew recaptured.” 

“I’ll take ‘Rose and her friends’,” Ron whispered. 

“If you don’t stop it, I’m going to have your sister incinerate you,” Hermione hissed. 

“I’ll do it,” Ginny said. 

“To prevent a situation like this from occurring again, security within the castle will be increased. That will _not_ involve Dementors in any way.” 

A hesitant applause spread over the students. It didn’t surprise Hermione in the slightest that the epicenter of it was Rose, who had more enthusiasm in her than the rest of the students combined. 

“In fact, if all goes well, no one should notice anything new next year.” 

“Apart from possibly fifty extra students,” Minerva muttered. 

“To celebrate, we are giving everyone the week off. I encourage you all to take this time to relax and make sure everything is in its proper place.” 

“Brilliant,” Hermione said as the students all began talking again. “I’ve got time to study.” 

“Really?” Ron asked. “ _That’s_ what you’re gonna do?” 

“Unlike you, _I’ve_ got an O.W.L. to prepare for,” Hermione said. “I’m completely unprepared, I don’t know what’s gonna–” 

“Who cares? You’re _Hermione Granger_. The day you get anything less than perfect on Arithmancy is the day I stop liking chess.” 

Hermione couldn’t believe her ears. Being the only one apart from Rose who was at all alert, she knew she wasn’t hallucinating again. Ron had actually said something nice. 

“Did one of those rocks hit you on the head?” Ginny asked. 

“Probably,” Ron said hesitantly, clearly not understanding his sister’s shock. “There were a lot of them falling around us.” 

A smile crept over Hermione’s face as she listened to Ginny and Ron argue with one another. 

“Thanks Ron,” she said, cutting off Ginny’s ramblings. “That made me feel a lot better.” 

Ron shrugged in his otherwise annoying, macho fashion. “You know, I do what I can.” 

* * *

When Harry reached Professor Dumbledore’s office, he found not only Professor Dumbledore, but Professor McGonagall, Sirius Black, and Rose waiting for him. 

“Have a seat, Harry,” Professor Dumbledore said. 

“What’s going on?” Harry asked. 

“Mr. Black… rather, Sirius has a proposal for you,” Professor McGonagall said. “He also wants to explain a few things.” 

“Not interested,” Harry said, turning around to leave. 

“He wants to give you a way out of living with your aunt and uncle for the summer,” Rose called after him. 

_That_ got Harry’s attention. He turned around, assessed every member of the room, then sat down in the chair set aside for him. 

“Alright, I’m listening,” Harry said. 

Sirius explained to him what Professor Dumbledore had explained earlier that day at breakfast, and what Hermione and Ron had explained even before that. 

“I might as well have killed them,” Sirius said. “Living in a family of dark wizards, I should’ve realized that Pettigrew had been turned.” 

Harry glowered while he listened to Sirius, not knowing what to believe. There was almost no new information, but he hadn’t believed it the first two times either. Now, he didn’t know what to believe. 

“Harry, I’m sorry,” Sirius said. 

“So?” Harry asked. “You lied to my parents once, and now you’re doing it again! People have been lying to me my whole life! I don’t care if it was you or Pettigrew who betrayed my parents! I don’t want anything do to with either one of you!” 

He stood up from his chair and began to storm out of the room. Harry stopped at the door when he found someone standing in his way. 

“Harry, please,” Sally-Anne said. “Don’t think about who’s innocent and guilty. This isn’t about _them_ , it’s about _you_.” 

“And _I’m_ choosing not to believe them,” Harry said, trying to get around Sally-Anne. 

Harry likely saw the slap coming before Sally-Anne thought about it, but it caught him off guard all the same. He brought his hand up to sooth the stinging pain in his cheek. 

“What was that for?!” he shouted. 

“ _It’s not about them!_ ” Sally-Anne shouted back. “This is about your aunt and uncle starving you! This is about your uncle breaking your arm and not bothering to have it looked at! It’s about my mum intimidating your uncle just to get him to leave you alone! It’s about your uncle’s sister calling your dad a drunk and your mum a bitch!” 

“She said what?” Sirius and Professor McGonagall said together. 

“This man is offering you a place where you’ll be loved and looked after,” Sally-Anne pleaded with him. “Where you’ll have proper meals, and you won’t have some deformed pig beating you up all the time! Most of all, this was your parents’ best friend! No one knows your dad better than he does. This is a chance to know who your parents were.” 

Harry didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know if he could trust Sirius, but Sally-Anne was right. It was miserable at Privet Drive, and for as long as he could remember, he’d wanted nothing more than to leave and never return. Now, he was finally being given that chance. 

“What if he did do it?” he asked her. 

“Then why in the world would Rose be standing there?” Sally-Anne shot back. 

“Erm–” 

“Of course she wouldn’t! She’d have him on the ground, with _Crimson Thorn_ pressed against his neck, threatening to cut his head off.” 

“She’s not wrong,” Rose said. “Scarface, I got the information out of Pettigrew myself. I can bring him here if you want, but believe me, Sirius is telling the truth.” 

Harry looked at Sally-Anne, then at Rose. After a moment, his eyes fell upon Sirius. 

“So you really want me to live with you?” Harry asked. 

“It won’t be much, but Professor Dumbledore’s helping me find a flat,” Sirius said. “What with my pending reprieve, I’ll need somewhere to live. I was hoping you’d live there with me.” 

“Before you make up your mind, there is one other issue,” Professor Dumbledore said. 

Five sets of eyes glared at the headmaster, but he remained seemingly ignorant to them. 

“When your mother died, her sacrifice triggered a sort of ancient magic called ‘blood magic’,” Professor Dumbledore said. “When your aunt, through whom your mother’s blood flows, accepted you into her home, she completed a charm I placed on you when you were a baby. So long as you can call Number Four Privet Drive home, Voldemort cannot touch you while you are inside.” 

Harry clenched his fists and rounded on the headmaster. 

“So what was the point of all of this?!” he shouted. 

“Harry, there must be a reason,” Sally-Anne said gently, placing her hand on Harry’s shoulder. 

Harry glared at Dumbledore, awaiting an answer that never came. Before the Headmaster could open his mouth, Rose began to speak. 

“You only need to be there to recharge the ward. After you’ve been there 12 days, it will recharge for another year. Once done, it will remain in place so long as you can return there whenever you like, thus constituting a ‘home’.” 

“Ms. Peta-Lorrum is correct,” Professor Dumbledore said. “Privet Drive will continue to be a safe house for you, in the event that Voldemort ever returns.” 

“I will be sending either Taltria or Alavel with you to make sure you’re alright,” Rose added. “The other one’s going with Princess.” 

“That way, you will continue to have protection through the summer,” Professor McGonagall said, narrowing her eyes at Sirius. “Just in case.” 

“What do you say?” Sirius asked. 

Harry glanced back at Sally-Anne, who smiled back at him. 

“ _Go on,_ ” she mouthed. 

“I say I can’t wait,” Harry said, a broad grin covering his face. “I’d love to.” 

“Brilliant!” Sirius said, standing up. “If there’s nothing else, I’ve got to get going.” He shook Professor Dumbledore’s hand, and got a nod from Professor McGonagall. After Rose curtsied to him, he started for the door. 

“I’m not sure we’ve been properly introduced,” Sirius said to Sally-Anne. 

“Sally-Anne Perks,” Sally-Anne replied, curtsying. “It’s a pleasure to properly make your acquaintance, Mr. Black.” 

“Like I keep telling him,” Sirius said, sticking his thumb back at Professor Dumbledore, “call me Sirius; Mr. Black makes me feel old.” 

“Alright,” Sally-Anne said, pulling a piece of parchment out of her bag. “Harry, the Twins wanted me to give you this. Don’t unfold it until later, though.” 

Harry recognized the parchment as the map the Twins used during the crisis the previous day. Rose had told him the previous night that his dad had made the map. 

“Okay,” Harry said, taking the parchment. “Thanks, I guess.” 

“It’ll make sense later,” Sally-Anne said. “Also, sorry for slapping you.” 

“It’s fine,” Harry said, rubbing his cheek again. “I needed that.” 

“If I had a knut for every time Lily slapped James,” Sirius said, “I could buy the whole country.” 

Sally-Anne and Harry laughed. 

“Rose, are you coming?” Sally-Anne asked. 

“I still need to speak with Ms. Peta-Lorrum,” Professor Dumbledore said. 

_She must be in trouble,_ Harry thought. _He only ever calls her ‘Ms. Peta-Lorrum’ when he’s angry at her._

Harry and Sally-Anne passed Professor Snape on their way out, who glared at Sirius. 

“Perks, Potter,” he said as they passed. 

“I’ll catch up with you later,” Sally-Anne said to Harry. “There’s something else I want to do.” 

Sally-Anne made her way down into the Dungeons. Just after Fred and George had parted with the Marauder’s Map, she’d used it to check on one student in particular. She concentrated on the location she’d gotten, although she got lost a few times. To her fortune, she found Draco and his gang walking through the corridors not far from where she was expecting to find them. 

“Draco.” 

“What do _you_ want?” Draco snapped. 

Sally-Anne took a deep breath, and concentrated on what she was about to say. Everything had to be just right for this to work. 

“I’m sorry,” Sally-Anne said. “I’m sorry that you felt humiliated by me last year.” 

“Save your apologies, Mudblood,” Draco spat. 

He shoved past her, and Sally-Anne squeezed her eyes shut. 

“If you want to tell people about me liking Harry, go ahead,” Sally-Anne said. “I humiliated you, so it’s only fair that you humiliate me.” 

Draco stopped on the spot, causing Pansy to almost trip over him. 

“Why would you do that?” Draco asked. “What are you and those other freaks up to?” 

“Nothing, I promise,” Sally-Anne said, concentrating on Draco’s mind. 

_First that old man gives me points out of the blue for school service or something, now she’s trying to trick me,_ Draco thought. 

“Draco, I–” 

“Stop calling me that,” he spat. 

“Malfoy, I don’t hate you,” Sally-Anne said. “Actually, you really helped me and Luna out a lot, and I appreciate it. Do what you want with the information.” 

Sally-Anne turned around and walked away before Draco could say anything. She didn’t expect much, but she didn’t want to be enemies forever. If she wanted to receive kindness, she’d have to show kindness first; otherwise, he’d have no reason to be nice. She didn’t like the idea of everyone knowing she had a crush on Harry, _especially_ Harry himself, but he would find out eventually. 

_Bright side, Sally-Anne. Maybe it’ll help you get over him._

Sally-Anne thought back to an hour ago when Rose asked if she would help convince Harry to live with Sirius. Thinking about it, Sally-Anne was quite certain she hadn’t let Rose finish before agreeing to help. 

_That’s gonna be harder than I thought._

* * *

Back in Professor Dumbledore’s office, Rose sat facing Professors Snape, Dumbledore, and McGonagall. They walked through each of her offenses that year, starting from her disrespectful behavior towards McGonagall on the first day, touching up on her nonchalant attitude towards other people and students suffering, and ending with her habit of breaking statues that guarded the Headmaster’s Office. It took Professor Snape a good five minutes to finish reading the list they had prepared, after which they all sat in silence. 

“Are you going to expel me?” Rose asked. 

“Can you think of a reason we shouldn’t?” Professor Dumbledore asked. 

Rose wanted to say “Because I was doing the right thing! What _you_ should’ve been doing all along!”, but she knew better. Not only would it make matters worse, but, more importantly, she didn’t know that she was right. She _hadn’t_ been doing the right thing, and she’d nearly gotten everyone else killed because she’d dismissed Pettigrew from the start. Worst of all, the image of Fudge’s bloody, mutilated body was still lingering just behind her eyes. She couldn’t keep Valignatiejir’s voice out of her mind, reminding her that she was just as bad as he was. 

“There isn’t one,” Rose said. “I got it into my head that I knew better than everyone else, and I was wrong. I’m ashamed of what I’ve done this past year, and I deserve much more than you expelling me. _I’m_ the one that should be locked up, kept away from other people, so I can’t do any more harm.” Rose lowered her head, avoiding the accusing glares of the professors. “I’m sorry.” 

The pause that followed was excruciating to Rose. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so worried about someone else’s opinion. Apart from not telling anyone about what had happened after she broke the time turner, she didn’t care enough about anything. As the rounds turned into minutes, she began to ponder what they’d do to her. She kept telling herself she didn’t care, that she could just pop back into Hogwarts whenever she wanted, but she _did_ care. She didn’t want to leave. Rose hated wearing their robes, and she found many of the classes boring, but she wanted to stay with her friends. Failing that, she just wanted to go home. 

“I’d rather not expel you,” Professor Dumbledore said from behind his folded hands. “Especially not after your invaluable assistance during the recent incident, and your aid in extracting information out of Pettigrew. However, your behavior must be punished in some way. Therefore, you will be turning over every stone in the castle to check for any remaining runes. You will be watched closely over the coming month, and if I deem you ready, I have a constructive outlet for your talents in mind.” 

Not knowing what else to do, Rose nodded. 

“You should also know that in lieu of points, I rewarded Ms. Lovegood with permission to keep her dog at Hogwarts.” 

Rose nodded again, although her blank stare was replaced by a faint grin. 

“Rose, thanks to you, Atrien was the only casualty. You did extraordinarily well, far above what we’d expect of any student. We can all agree that this doesn’t make up for everything you’ve done, but it’s the only reason you haven’t been expelled, and possibly arrested.” 

“Thank you, Professor.” 

She stood up to leave, curtsying to the trio of teachers. 

“One last thing,” Professor Dumbledore said. 

“You’re making a habit of that,” Rose said, turning back to face him. 

“Minister Fudge will be arriving later today to meet with me. You will not go near him. Is that clear?” 

“Understood.” 

Rose left Professor Dumbledore’s office, and found Luna and Tutela waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs. 

“Tutela seems to think you wanted to talk to us,” Luna said. 

“ _Telepathic bond,_ ” Rose whispered, touching both of them. “ _Permanency._ ” 

“So I can talk with Tutela now?” Luna asked. 

“Yup,” Rose said. “No distance limitation.” 

“ _Kethé_ ,” Luna said as the girls began walking. 

“I know about your dreams,” Rose said. “I know you’ve been dreaming about your lives, and about mine.” 

Luna stopped walking. 

“How?” 

“Other Luna told me,” Rose said. “She recognized me, but didn’t realize she wasn’t dreaming. Since you were already dreaming about other versions of yourself, it wasn’t a stretch to assume you were dreaming about me, too.” Rose pulled Moon into a hug. “I’m so sorry, Little Moon.” 

Luna nestled against Rose, happy for the affection. 

“It’s alright,” Luna said. “I’m glad I can talk to someone about them.” 

“You’re right,” Rose said, smiling. “It is nice to have someone to talk to about it.” 

* * *

Despite Hermione’s fears, exams were easy the following weeks. Sirius was fined for being an unregistered animagus, but ultimately released. Intelligencer informed Rose that Professor Dumbledore’s meeting with Fudge went about as well as it could, despite the presence of a rather unpleasant woman wearing a sickening amount of pink. 

All in all, everything turned out alright. It was a tough year, but they’d all come out of it. 

All except for one. Atrien was buried on the grounds of Hogwarts, and the house-elves were given time to mourn her. No one knew who would be chosen as the next Head Elf, and many weren’t ready to move on. 

Still, life went on, and before they knew it, it was time to go home. 

“Oh, I’m gonna miss you girls so much,” Alex said, hugging Sally-Anne. 

“I don’t know how we’re gonna get along without you,” Sally-Anne said. 

“You’ll do great,” Alex said as she moved on to Hermione. 

Sally-Anne couldn’t believe that Alex wasn’t going to be there anymore. For three years, her prefect had been there for her. Her words were more than just words; she honestly didn’t know if she could get along without Alex there to help her. 

“We’re gonna miss you too,” Hermione said. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep everyone out of trouble!” Rose exclaimed as she hugged Alex. 

The other girls burst out laughing at Rose’s absurd comment. 

“Good luck with that,” Alex said. 

They all stood around awkwardly as people came and went, moving luggage around, and saying farewell to friends. Sally-Anne didn’t want to leave yet; she didn’t know if she’d see Alex again, and she’d become one of her closest friends. 

“We’ll be back in a minute,” Rose said. “I need to steal Brain.” 

“Wait, what?” Hermione asked as she and Rose vanished. 

Sally-Anne and Alex exchanged looks. 

“That’s not that much out of character for her,” Alex said. “Although, it gives me an opportunity to tell you something.” 

Sally-Anne smiled, glad that Alex was confiding in her. 

“You’re working hard to care for your friends, and that’s great, just… don’t be upset if you can’t do it.” 

For a moment, Sally-Anne didn’t understand. Was Alex telling her that she couldn’t take care of her friends? Had she done something that seemed like failure? Was it about the Dementors? 

“When I was 12, my aunt and uncle asked me to babysit the boys. I couldn’t stand them, but I loved my aunt and uncle so much I didn’t care. They were always the best, but my cousins were all out of control, and they slammed into a cupboard. This beautiful glass angel fell off and shattered.” 

Sally-Anne frowned, not understanding the purpose of the story. 

“I got so angry that I locked them in their rooms so I could find the spell to fix it.” 

“What happened?” Sally-Anne asked. 

“My aunt and uncle came home and found everything just like that. Their angel on the floor, their sons locked in their room, and me looking over a book. I cried so hard that night, and even more because they haven’t asked me to babysit the boys since.” 

“I don’t understand. Why–” 

“Because sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you just fail. Everything falls apart like… well, like a glass angel.” 

She put her hands on Sally-Anne’s shoulders. Sally-Anne looked up at Alex and for a moment, she was back in first year. A scared, timid little girl, unable to fight back or stand up to anyone. Except Alex was there for her, showing her that she could be strong. 

Sally-Anne leaned in and felt Alex’s protective hold on her. A mother bear and her cub. Alex had kept her safe from the world, but now it was her turn to keep everyone else safe. 

“I thought I’d lost you for a moment,” Alex said. “You really scared me.” 

“I certainly didn’t mean to. I just thought if it was a choice between me or Professor Babbling, it was more important for her to go on than it was for me.” 

Alex’s grip tightened, and Sally-Anne heard her prefect’s heartbeat quicken. 

“Next time, leave everyone else to die. Just save yourself.” 

“If it’s a straight choice, I think I’ll save everyone.” 

“You can’t–” 

“With the strength you’ve given me, Alex, I can do anything.” 

The two girls stood there, ignorant of everyone around them. She hoped Alex could feel the strength she’d passed to Sally-Anne in her hold. Alex had given her the strength to shove her own fears and pain aside to help other people when they needed it more. Even knowing she could do it on her own, she allowed the warmth of Alex’s embrace to empower her one last time before saying her final goodbye. 

* * *

Outside, Rose and Hermione appeared in the middle of the Forbidden Forest. Hermione knew where they were; it was the same place Rose had taken her when they talked to Rose’s family. 

“Brain, I lied,” Rose said. 

“Really?” Hermione asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “I had no idea.” 

“I probably deserved that.” 

“But you’ve been so truthful this entire time!” 

“You can stop now.” 

“It’s like everything you say is–” 

“Do you want me to tell you the truth or not?” 

Rose still saw defiance through Hermione’s smile, an expression she recognized from Alice. When Rose thought about it, she was sure _she_ made the same face. 

“Do you remember the first time I showed you the Room of Requirement?” 

“I remember almost everything,” Hermione said. “You dragged me up seven flights of stairs, spouted a bunch of nonsense, then told me you’d make me a bracelet that would let me read books instantly.” 

“What was the nonsense?” 

Hermione closed her eyes and concentrated on that day. 

“Something about deities, brief, confusing description of EL, you first told me about your parents, then…” Hermione stopped talking, opened her eyes wide and stared at Rose. 

“‘My big brother Sk’lar’s going to bring them back’,” Hermione recited. 

“I was gonna wait for you to remember on your own, but–” 

“Why didn’t you tell me?!” Hermione hissed. 

“At first it was easier, then I didn’t want you to find out that I’d lied.” 

“ _Your parents are alive!_ ” 

“Yes and no.” 

Hermione glared at her, angry that Rose was still talking in riddles. She’d have punched her friend if it thought it’d do any good. 

“The day after Valignatiejir attacked me, Sk’lar brought them back. The _actual_ limit on _wish_ , which he used to res them, is 200 years. If you haven’t got a body, you can just use another _wish_ to restore it. If you’ve got dust from _disintegrate_ , then that counts as a body.” 

“How are they not alive?” Hermione asked, her patience evaporating like water in a desert. 

“I can’t talk to them like I can everyone else,” Rose said. “Sk’lar or Shadow bring them my letters, but other than that, I can’t talk to them. They’re dead in the sense that I can’t interact with them.” 

Hermione turned Rose’s words over and over in her head. Rose had promised again and again that she wouldn’t lie to her anymore, but each of those promises had been lies. It was always another lie with Rose. What was Hermione supposed to believe anymore? 

“Why should I trust you now?” Hermione asked. “How can I trust anything you–” 

As if to answer her question, a crack appeared in the air behind Rose. It grew larger, then began to split open. Behind it was Rose’s brother, but on either side of him were two people. One was a man with dark orange hair, and the other a woman with silky black hair. 

“Hermione, I’d like you to meet my parents.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a little hard to believe, but that wraps up Book Three.
> 
> As always, next week will see a new chapter of _Garnet Gamble_ , then it's on to Book Four: _Neville Longbottom and the Cherry Champion_


End file.
